Instagram YouTube trial: Social media addiction lawsuit in California
TOI GLOBAL DESK | TOI GLOBAL | Feb 10, 2026, 18:48 IST
In California, a landmark trial is kicking off that examines the psychological effects of Instagram and YouTube on young users. There are serious allegations that these platforms are designed to hook children. This trial may pave the way for similar legal actions throughout the country, with experts and tech executives slated to take the stand.
A landmark trial began in California examining the mental health effects of Instagram and YouTube, with accusations that the social media giants intentionally created "addiction machines" designed to addict children's brains. The plaintiff, referred to as K.G.M., alleges her mental health issues stem from social media addiction, while Meta and YouTube argue her struggles are due to other life issues, not their negligence. This trial, expected to last six weeks, could set a benchmark for numerous similar lawsuits nationwide.
In his opening argument, Mark Lanier, representing K.G.M., stated, "These companies built machines designed to addict the brains of children, and they did it on purpose." He further asserted that Meta and YouTube failed to warn young users about the dangers posed by their platform designs. Lanier emphasized his case by displaying children's blocks with the words "Addicting," "Brains," and "Children" next to the letters A, B, and C.
"This case is about two of the richest corporations in history who have engineered addiction in children's brains," Lanier told the jury. He promised to reveal internal documents and emails from executives that illustrate this point.
A 2015 email from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was presented, in which he demanded that "time spent increases by 12%" on Meta platforms to meet internal business goals. Regarding YouTube, Lanier claimed the platform, owned by Google, specifically targeted young users to "charge advertisers more" compared to its YouTube Kids platform. He also accused YouTube of exploiting busy parents seeking a "digital babysitting service."
Meta's attorney, Paul Schmidt, questioned whether Instagram was a substantial factor in K.G.M.'s mental health struggles. He portrayed K.G.M. as someone who endured family turmoil, including neglect, physical and verbal abuse, and bullying by her parents. Schmidt acknowledged K.G.M.'s efforts to overcome these challenges.
Schmidt referenced records detailing domestic violence in K.G.M.'s family history and her seeking therapy from the age of three. He presented statements from K.G.M. describing her mother screaming at her, calling her stupid, and making her want to kill herself. "I recognise those are tough quotes," Schmidt told the jury. "In a case that's about psychological distress, that is what you have to consider."
The trial's outcome is anticipated to influence thousands of other cases brought by plaintiffs, their families, state prosecutors, and school districts across the United States. In a related development, 29 state Attorneys General have asked a California Federal judge to compel Meta to significantly alter or disable aspects of its business and platforms.
In a Monday filing, these state attorneys requested an injunction requiring Meta to remove all accounts known to belong to users under 13 years of age. They also sought the deletion of data collected on users under 13 and the disabling of algorithms and generative artificial intelligence tools using such data.
A group of 18 state attorneys pursuing consumer protection claims against Meta also requested that the court enforce time restrictions for young users, prohibiting school-time and night-time use. They further asked for the deactivation of "addictive" design features like infinite scroll and autoplay, and the disabling of filters that enhance photos or perceptions of beauty.
Meta has introduced features for "teen accounts" on Instagram over the past two years, including content filtering for users under 16. However, the state attorneys argued in their filing that these measures are merely "a public relations measure offering minimal real protections for teen users on the platforms."
Approximately one hundred people, including parents who believe their children died due to platform design choices, observed Monday's proceedings. The companies maintain they are not responsible for content posted by third parties under federal law. Snapchat-parent Snap and TikTok settled with K.G.M. last month and are no longer defendants in this case.
Testimony is expected from experts, family members of children who have died, and from Mark Zuckerberg, Adam Mosseri (head of Instagram), and Neal Mohan (CEO of YouTube). Former Meta employees who became whistleblowers regarding social media addiction among children are also slated to testify.
In his opening argument, Mark Lanier, representing K.G.M., stated, "These companies built machines designed to addict the brains of children, and they did it on purpose." He further asserted that Meta and YouTube failed to warn young users about the dangers posed by their platform designs. Lanier emphasized his case by displaying children's blocks with the words "Addicting," "Brains," and "Children" next to the letters A, B, and C.
"This case is about two of the richest corporations in history who have engineered addiction in children's brains," Lanier told the jury. He promised to reveal internal documents and emails from executives that illustrate this point.
A 2015 email from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was presented, in which he demanded that "time spent increases by 12%" on Meta platforms to meet internal business goals. Regarding YouTube, Lanier claimed the platform, owned by Google, specifically targeted young users to "charge advertisers more" compared to its YouTube Kids platform. He also accused YouTube of exploiting busy parents seeking a "digital babysitting service."
Meta's attorney, Paul Schmidt, questioned whether Instagram was a substantial factor in K.G.M.'s mental health struggles. He portrayed K.G.M. as someone who endured family turmoil, including neglect, physical and verbal abuse, and bullying by her parents. Schmidt acknowledged K.G.M.'s efforts to overcome these challenges.
Schmidt referenced records detailing domestic violence in K.G.M.'s family history and her seeking therapy from the age of three. He presented statements from K.G.M. describing her mother screaming at her, calling her stupid, and making her want to kill herself. "I recognise those are tough quotes," Schmidt told the jury. "In a case that's about psychological distress, that is what you have to consider."
The trial's outcome is anticipated to influence thousands of other cases brought by plaintiffs, their families, state prosecutors, and school districts across the United States. In a related development, 29 state Attorneys General have asked a California Federal judge to compel Meta to significantly alter or disable aspects of its business and platforms.
In a Monday filing, these state attorneys requested an injunction requiring Meta to remove all accounts known to belong to users under 13 years of age. They also sought the deletion of data collected on users under 13 and the disabling of algorithms and generative artificial intelligence tools using such data.
A group of 18 state attorneys pursuing consumer protection claims against Meta also requested that the court enforce time restrictions for young users, prohibiting school-time and night-time use. They further asked for the deactivation of "addictive" design features like infinite scroll and autoplay, and the disabling of filters that enhance photos or perceptions of beauty.
Meta has introduced features for "teen accounts" on Instagram over the past two years, including content filtering for users under 16. However, the state attorneys argued in their filing that these measures are merely "a public relations measure offering minimal real protections for teen users on the platforms."
Approximately one hundred people, including parents who believe their children died due to platform design choices, observed Monday's proceedings. The companies maintain they are not responsible for content posted by third parties under federal law. Snapchat-parent Snap and TikTok settled with K.G.M. last month and are no longer defendants in this case.
Testimony is expected from experts, family members of children who have died, and from Mark Zuckerberg, Adam Mosseri (head of Instagram), and Neal Mohan (CEO of YouTube). Former Meta employees who became whistleblowers regarding social media addiction among children are also slated to testify.