Landmark lawsuit claims Meta and Google designed platforms to addict young users
A test case filed in Los Angeles alleges that Meta and Google deliberately designed their social media platforms to create addiction in young users, with over 2,000 similar lawsuits pending. The plaintiff testified to extreme usage patterns and psychological harm, while a parent attributed her daughter's death by suicide to harmful content exposure on Instagram.
What happened
A lawsuit filed in Los Angeles names Meta and Google as defendants in a test case representing over 2,000 similar proceedings alleging that social media platforms were designed to create dependency in young users. The plaintiff, identified only as Kaley to protect her identity, testified that she spent up to 16 hours on Instagram in a single day, checked notifications during sleep, and eventually withdrew from family interactions due to platform use.
TikTok and Snapchat, also initially named in the action, settled out of court. The trial lasted five weeks and centered on two questions: whether Kaley developed a social media dependency and whether the platforms were deliberately designed to create addiction.
Reported impact
The lawsuit alleges harmful effects on the mental health of young users. A parent, Lori Schott, attended the trial after her daughter Annalee died by suicide at age 18; Schott attributed this to Instagram's exposure of her daughter to psychologically harmful content.
Schott stated that the company knew the platform created dependency and hidden research about these effects, while presenting a false sense of safety to users.
Index analysis
The case is being closely monitored by legal experts and parents who believe their children have been harmed by social media platforms. If the defendants are found liable, jurors will need to determine what compensation young users affected by these design mechanisms are owed.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.