Zuckerberg Under Fire: Landmark Addiction Trial Starts

Jury selection has concluded for a significant social media addiction trial in Los Angeles Superior Court, California. Meta, the parent company of Instagram, and Alphabet, which owns YouTube, are defendants in this bellwether case. Plaintiffs allege that these tech giants knowingly designed addictive applications that have caused severe mental harm to young users, drawing parallels to strategies employed against the tobacco industry.

The trial centers on the experiences of a 20-year-old identified as K.G.M., who claims her childhood addiction to social media detrimentally impacted her mental health. Throughout the jury selection process, references to Meta's co-founder, Mark Zuckerberg, were frequent, with potential jurors expressing strong opinions about his past actions and the company's practices.

Meta's legal team actively worked to dismiss jurors perceived as biased against the company, emphasizing the need for a fair start. Conversely, plaintiffs' lawyers sought to exclude individuals who attributed young people's mental health issues more to parental failings than to platform design. Both Meta and Alphabet deny the allegations, with Meta unsuccessfully arguing against comparisons of their platforms to addictive products.

The case will scrutinize the design of algorithms and personalization features, rather than content, as these platforms are largely protected by U.S. law regarding content liability. The proceedings are scheduled to begin on Monday, with the outcome potentially setting a precedent for numerous other lawsuits expected across the United States.