Los Angeles Jury Weighs Claims That Meta and Snap Apps Hooked Teens

Jury selection began on Wednesday in a Los Angeles courtroom, marking the start of a trial against Meta and Snap.

Two teenagers, a 16-year-old from Illinois and an 18-year-old from Mississippi, argue that the companies designed their platforms to be addictive. The Illinois plaintiff, identified as S.J., claims compulsive use of Snapchat led to depression, anxiety, and self-harm. The Mississippi plaintiff, K.D.B., alleges that her use of Meta and Snapchat contributed to similar mental health struggles.

The lawsuit was filed in 2023 in a Los Angeles trial court. The complaint states that the defendants created features specifically to appeal to minors who could not fully appreciate the risks. It cites endless scrolling and Snapstreaks as tools that kept users hooked. Both companies now dispute the core allegations.

TikTok and YouTube were originally named in the suit but settled before the trial began. Meta also settled with S.J. but continues to defend against the claims made by K.D.B. A Meta spokesperson noted that a young person's mental health is shaped by many factors. The spokesperson added that K.D.B. used TikTok more than Instagram or Facebook and that her personal circumstances played a substantial role in her struggles.

Snap maintains that it has built safeguards and educational resources into its platform. A company spokesperson said the evidence will show that Snap prioritized its community. The spokesperson argued that the allegations misrepresent the plaintiffs' experiences and the actual design of the app.

Mark Lanier, lead counsel for the plaintiffs, said this is the first trial against Snapchat. He noted that the public will see some of the company's documents for the first time. The plaintiffs are seeking both compensatory and punitive damages, though the specific amounts were not disclosed in court records.

Judge Carolyn Kuhl is presiding over the case. Opening statements are scheduled for early November. Meta and Snap recently asked the court to split the matter into two separate trials, but Kuhl has not yet ruled on that request. The plaintiffs' lawyers expect the trial to last until mid-December.

Key executives are expected to take the stand. The list includes Mark Zuckerberg, Meta CEO, and Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram. Evan Spiegel, Snap CEO, is also expected to testify. The case is one of several bellwether trials selected from a larger group of similar claims filed against social media companies.

A 2024 Pew Research Center survey found that nearly half of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 said they are online almost constantly. Earlier this year, a jury in a separate landmark case ordered companies to pay $6 million. That jury found the companies responsible for creating products that led to harmful and addictive behavior among young users.