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PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Jury deliberates in Meta-YouTube addiction trial
The jury has deliberated during the landmark trial over social media giants being allegedly responsible for online addiction.
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LOS ANGELES – A Los Angeles jury is weighing a potentially precedent-setting lawsuit brought by a 20-year-old woman against social media giants Meta and YouTube.
The plaintiff alleges the platforms used "engineered addiction" to cause her severe mental health struggles, while the defense argues her issues stem from her personal upbringing rather than technology.
What we know:
Plaintiff K.G.M., a 20-year-old from Chico, claims that Meta and YouTube functioned as "behemoths" that targeted her as a vulnerable minor.
Her attorney, Mark Lanier, argued that the platforms used a "Trojan horse" strategy, drawing users in with appealing content to trap them in addictive loops.
TikTok and Snap were originally part of the suit but settled before the trial began.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Jury deliberates in Meta-YouTube addiction trial
The defense strongly contests these claims, maintaining a commitment to user well-being.
They have questioned the scientific validity of "social media addiction" and suggested that the plaintiff's mental health struggles were actually caused by alleged verbal and physical abuse by her parents.
What we don't know:
The identity of the specific defendant the jury is struggling to reach a verdict on remains unnamed.
It is also unclear exactly how much in financial damages the plaintiff is seeking in this specific case, though the jury indicated they had transitioned to discussing monetary awards late last week before hitting a snag on Monday.
Timeline:
Pre-Trial: TikTok and Snap reach undisclosed settlements.
March 12: Closing arguments are delivered by both sides.
March 13: The jury begins formal deliberations.
Friday: Jurors send a note indicating they have moved to the financial damages phase.
Monday: The jury reports difficulty reaching a verdict on one defendant; Judge Kuhl orders continued deliberations.
Tuesday: A New Mexico jury orders Meta to pay $375 million in a separate but similar case.
Wednesday: Deliberations resume for a ninth day in Los Angeles.
What they're saying:
Plaintiff's attorney Mark Lanier compared the platforms to "a lion stalking a pack of vulnerable gazelles," emphasizing the power imbalance between tech companies and children.
On the other hand, the social media companies maintain they are committed to safety, with their legal teams arguing that the plaintiff's claims ignore "other factors in K.G.M's life" that contributed to her condition.
What's next:
Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl warned that the case might have to be at least partially retried if the jury is deadlocked on one defendant.
Meanwhile, Meta has already announced plans to appeal the $375 million New Mexico verdict, a move that could signal a long legal battle for any damages awarded in the Los Angeles trial.
The Source: This report is based on direct courtroom observations and trial records from the Los Angeles Superior Court proceedings presided over by Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl via City News Service.