Feb. 10, 2026
Meta, Google face first jury trial over social media addiction claims
Jurors heard dueling openings in the first bellwether trial accusing Meta and Google of designing addictive platforms that harmed a child, with the defense arguing her mental health struggles stemmed from a troubled home, not social media use.
Meta Platforms and Google deliberately built their social media apps to function as "addiction machines" and "digital casinos" aimed at children, a plaintiffs' attorney told jurors Monday at the start of the first bellwether trial in Los Angeles County's coordinated social media addiction litigation.
The defense told the jury the plaintiff's mental and emotional problems stemmed from a detrimental home environment where she saw and experienced abuse...
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