A landmark trial began Monday in Los Angeles, accusing Meta and Google-owned YouTube of deliberately designing their platforms to addict children.
Plaintiff attorneys claim the social media giants engineered “addiction by design,” linking it to mental health issues, including depression and eating disorders.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram head Adam Mosseri are expected to testify, while Snapchat and TikTok settled before trial.
Lawyers liken the case to historical lawsuits against the tobacco industry, arguing that social media companies knowingly harmed young users for profit.
The outcome could set a legal precedent for hundreds of similar lawsuits across the United States.
Source: PhilNews24 | February 10, 2026
