Woman sues Meta, YouTube over social media addiction

A California woman, identified in court as Kaley G.M., testified Wednesday about how using Meta Platforms’s Instagram and Alphabet Inc’s YouTube as a child affected her mental health, during a landmark trial in Los Angeles.

Kaley began using Instagram at age 9 and YouTube at age 6. Her lawyers say the platforms contributed to depression, body dysmorphia, and other mental health issues, arguing the companies knowingly designed features to keep children engaged for profit, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.

The trial is part of a broader global backlash against social media platforms for alleged harms to minors. Some countries, including Australia, have imposed age restrictions on these platforms, with others considering similar regulations.

Lawyers allege platform features such as autoplay videos, infinite scrolling, “like” buttons, and beauty filters were deliberately designed to maximize user engagement and validation, potentially harming vulnerable teens. Internal Meta research cited in court indicates that teens in difficult life circumstances often use Instagram habitually.

YouTube’s legal team countered that Kaley did not fully use platform safety features, such as comment moderation tools and screen time limits. Court records show she spent about 1 minute 14 seconds daily on YouTube Shorts and 29 minutes daily streaming videos over the past five years.

The case will hinge on whether the platforms’ design and operations were a substantial factor in worsening Kaley’s mental health issues.

News.Az