Meta, TikTok and YouTube Face Landmark Trial Over Youth Addiction Claims
GeokHub
WASHINGTON | Jan 26, 2026 Meta Platforms, TikTok and YouTube are set to face intense legal scrutiny this week as a U.S. court examines claims that their platforms contribute to harmful screen dependency among young users, marking a pivotal moment in the national debate over youth mental health and social media use.
The closely watched trial, unfolding in Los Angeles County Superior Court, centres on a lawsuit brought by a 19-year-old California woman identified in court records as K.G.M. She alleges that the design of the companies’ platforms encouraged compulsive use during her adolescence, contributing to serious mental health challenges. The defendants deny the claims.
The case is considered a bellwether for dozens of similar lawsuits filed across the United States, many of which accuse major technology firms of deliberately engineering addictive features that disproportionately affect minors.
A First Courtroom Test for Tech Giants
Legal experts say the trial represents the first time leading social media companies will be required to defend their products before a jury over alleged harm to young users.
“This is the first real test of these theories in a courtroom,” said Clay Calvert, a media law expert at the American Enterprise Institute. “The jury will be asked to decide whether platform design itself can be held responsible for user harm.”
Jurors will be tasked with determining whether the companies were negligent and whether use of the platforms played a substantial role in the plaintiff’s condition, compared with other contributing factors such as third-party content or offline circumstances.
Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify. The company has said it will argue that its platforms did not cause the plaintiff’s mental health struggles.
Snap Inc., which was also named as a defendant, reached a settlement earlier this month. The company declined to disclose the terms.
Diverging Defences
YouTube is expected to argue that its services are materially different from social networking platforms such as Instagram and TikTok and should not be treated the same under the law, according to a company executive.
TikTok declined to comment ahead of the trial.
Plaintiff attorney Matthew Bergman said the proceedings would place the companies under scrutiny unlike anything they face during congressional hearings. “This is where evidence is tested,” he said.
Public Messaging and Industry Pushback
As the case moves forward, the companies involved are simultaneously working to shape public opinion around youth online safety.
Meta has sponsored parent education programmes in U.S. schools since 2018, while TikTok has partnered with local parent-teacher associations to promote tools that allow parents to manage screen time. Google, YouTube’s parent company, has collaborated with youth organisations to promote digital safety education.
Critics argue these initiatives are designed to soften regulatory pressure rather than address deeper concerns.
“These companies are deploying every available influence channel,” said Julie Scelfo, founder of advocacy group Mothers Against Media Addiction. “That can make it difficult for parents to know who to trust.”
