Meta and Snap returned to Los Angeles Superior Court over teen mental health allegations
Meta and Snap are back in Los Angeles Superior Court for a potential bellwether trial over claims their apps were designed to hook young users. Two teenage girls say Snapstreaks, push notifications and view counts worsened their mental health. Jury selection was set for Wednesday. In March, a jury awarded a plaintiff $6 million in damages against Meta and YouTube.
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Meta and Snap returned to Los Angeles Superior Court for a case that could serve as a bellwether in allegations that their platforms were engineered to foster compulsive use among teens and children. Jury selection was set to begin Wednesday. The case involves two teenage girls who allege features including Snapstreaks, push notifications and view counts worsened their mental health.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel and Instagram’s top executive Adam Mosseri are expected to testify in November, ABC7 Los Angeles reported.
A similar trial in the same courtroom in March ended with a jury siding with plaintiff “K.G.M.” and awarding her $6 million in damages against Meta and YouTube. The companies are appealing. Snap and TikTok settled before that trial.
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Verifier’s note
ABC7 Los Angeles reports that Meta and Snap are returning to court in Los Angeles for a social media addiction trial, and The Hill reports the same event. The Hill’s newsletter result repeats its article rather than providing an independent report.