Instagram and YouTube have been accused of deliberately designing their platforms to addict children, as a major trial examining the mental health impact of social media began in California.
Lawyers for the plaintiff, a teenage girl identified as K.G.M., told the court that features such as infinite scroll, autoplay and algorithm-driven recommendations were intentionally built to keep young users engaged for longer. They argued the companies failed to warn families about the risks these designs posed to children.
“These companies built machines designed to addict the brains of children,” said Mark Lanier, the lawyer representing K.G.M., during his opening statement.
The court was shown internal documents, including a 2015 email in which Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg called for increased “time spent” on the company’s platforms. Lawyers also accused YouTube of targeting young users because of the higher advertising revenue they generate.
Meta and YouTube rejected the claims, arguing that K.G.M.’s mental health struggles were caused by difficulties in her home life rather than the design of their platforms. Meta’s lawyer said the jury must consider evidence of family conflict and long-standing psychological issues.
The six-week trial is expected to feature testimony from senior executives, including Zuckerberg and YouTube chief executive Neal Mohan, as well as experts and bereaved families. The outcome could influence similar cases across the United States and increase pressure on social media companies over child safety.
Author: Kieran Seymour