Meta, Snap Go to Trial Over Social Media Addiction Claims

Jury selection began in Los Angeles in a trial against Meta and Snap. Two plaintiffs allege the companies built addictive platforms that harmed their mental health.

• 2023: the year the plaintiffs filed suit in a Los Angeles trial court.
• TikTok and YouTube settled before trial; Meta settled with one plaintiff.
• Zuckerberg, Spiegel and Mosseri are all expected to testify.
• Plaintiffs seek unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.

Why it matters: The case is one of several bellwethers chosen for many similar claims against social media companies. Results in such cases often guide how the rest are handled.

• Lead counsel Mark Lanier says it is the first trial against Snapchat.
• $6 million: what a jury ordered Meta and YouTube to pay in an earlier case.

How 5 sources split on this story

Where they split: The plaintiffs say platform design caused their harm; Meta and Snap say other factors were responsible.

What’s next: Opening statements are scheduled for early November before Judge Carolyn Kuhl.

• Kuhl has yet to rule on Meta and Snap's request for separate trials.
• Will Judge Kuhl split the case into two trials?
• What will Snap's internal documents show once made public?