Tue, 27 Jan 2026

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 Tech giants face landmark trial over social media addiction claims

Defendants include Meta, which owns Instagram and Facebook, TikTok's owner ByteDance and YouTube parent Google.

* A landmark trial in California is underway, where a 19-year-old woman (identified as KGM) is suing top tech companies including Meta, ByteDance (TikTok's owner), and Google over alleged addiction to social media.
* The plaintiff alleges that the design of algorithms on these platforms led to her addiction and negatively affected her mental health.
* The defendants have argued that the plaintiff's evidence does not prove they are responsible for harms such as depression and eating disorders.
* The trial marks a significant shift in how US courts treat tech firms, which may face increased liability for their products' effects on users.
* The case is based on Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, but challenges the companies' argument that they cannot be held responsible for design choices related to algorithms and notifications.
* Tech executives including Meta's Mark Zuckerberg are expected to testify in court, which may put pressure on them to defend their company's practices.
* The trial has implications for social media companies worldwide, as regulators and lawmakers increasingly scrutinize their impact on users' mental health.
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