Meta, Snap Face Landmark Youth Harm Trial

Jury selection begins Wednesday in Los Angeles for a landmark trial alleging social media apps cause severe psychological and physical harm to young users.

The consolidated California lawsuit targets Meta and Snap, marking the first time Snap faces a jury over claims of addictive app design.

Plaintiffs KDB and SJ allege that compulsive use of Instagram and Snapchat starting in their early teens triggered severe mental health issues, eating disorders, and self-harm.

Star witnesses, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri, and Snap CEO Evan Spiegel, face potential testimony starting in mid-November.

While TikTok and YouTube settled out of court with both plaintiffs before jury selection, Meta settled only with SJ, leaving 18-year-old KDB’s claims against both Meta and Snap active.

Snap plans to fight the lawsuit by highlighting its unique messaging structure, with a company spokesperson asserting, “We believe the evidence will support that we have put our community first and that these allegations fundamentally misrepresent the plaintiffs’ experiences on Snapchat and how our platform was designed.”

Meanwhile, Meta continues to resist liability despite suffering a $6 million bellwether verdict earlier this year, maintaining: “We will not back away from defending ourselves against baseless lawsuits.”

The high-stakes proceeding follows massive financial hits for Meta, including a $25 billion penalty in New Mexico over user data deception and a multi-billion-dollar settlement with 52 state attorneys general requiring systemic product changes for teens.

If the remaining parties do not reach a last-minute settlement, opening statements will commence on November 4.