Lawyers in landmark social media addiction trial make final appeals to the jury

LOS ANGELES (AP) – After nearly a month of interviews with addiction experts, therapists, platform engineers and managers Mark ZuckerbergThe jury will hear closing arguments before heading to the deliberation room to decide whether social media companies should be liable for harm caused to children who use their platforms.

Closing arguments in the trial will begin Thursday at the Spring Street Courthouse in Los Angeles. Lawyers representing the plaintiff, a 20-year-old woman, and lawyers representing two defendants (Meta and Google-owned YouTube) will present their cases to jurors. TikTok and Snap were also named as defendants in the lawsuit, but each decided before the trial started.

The case, along with two others, has been named a leading case, meaning its outcome could affect how thousands of similar lawsuits against social media companies play out.

The plaintiff, identified in the documents as KGM, or Kaley as her lawyers said during the hearing, says that her use of social media at an early age made her addicted to technology and increased her depression and suicidal thoughts.

It highlighted a tumultuous home life for both the defendants and the plaintiff, Kaley. Her lawyers say she was trapped as a vulnerable user, but lawyers representing Meta and Google-owned YouTube argued that Kaley turned to their platforms as a coping mechanism or a way to escape mental health issues.

Throughout the hearing, Meta argued that Kaley faced significant challenges before using social media. Paul Schmidt, the company’s lawyer, he said earlier this month The central question in the case is whether the platforms were a significant factor in Kayley’s mental health struggles.

Instead of focusing on Kaley, lawyers representing YouTube argue that YouTube is not a social media platform and that its features are not addictive.