Particle.news
Download on the App Store

TikTok Settles as LA Jury Selection Begins in Youth Social Media Addiction Trial Against Meta and YouTube

The bellwether case tests whether platform design choices can be blamed for youth harms, potentially reshaping legal protections for tech.

Overview

  • TikTok reached a confidential deal hours before jury selection, following Snap’s Jan. 20 settlement, leaving Meta and YouTube to face the Los Angeles jury.
  • Jury selection began Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court and is expected to take several days, with a six-to-eight-week trial to follow.
  • The plaintiff, a 19-year-old identified as K.G.M., alleges features such as infinite scroll, algorithmic recommendations, autoplay and notifications fostered compulsive use and worsened depression and suicidal thoughts.
  • The outcome could influence thousands of related cases and bellwether trials later this year, with potential implications for Section 230 and First Amendment defenses if design-based claims prevail.
  • Executives including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg are expected to testify, while the companies reject the allegations and point to parental controls, youth safety tools and other safeguards.