What to Know About the Upcoming Social Media Addiction Lawsuit Trial
A key social media addiction trial is slated to begin next month. That case will become the second to go before a jury over claims that the social media platforms were intentionally designed to be addictive.
What the Social Media Trial Is About
The upcoming social media trial scheduled to begin on July 27 in Los Angeles centers on a 15-year-old Florida teen identified as R.K.C. They claim that they experienced severe mental health issues and eventually required treatment for depression and anxiety following significant social media use.
The trial is expected to involve the companies behind Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat. Social media addiction lawsuits argue that companies designed their platforms to addict users, while also failing to warn users of this risk.
YouTube was also set to be part of the trial, but agreed to a confidential settlement last week to resolve those claims.
Other defendants could also agree to settlements before the trial begins. These social media companies recently agreed to pay $27 million to resolve a lawsuit brought by a Kentucky school district before it could go before a jury.
Upcoming Social Media Trial Follows Major Win for People Who Have Filed Lawsuits
The first case to go to trial, which was completed earlier this year, involved a 20-year-old woman named Kaley who began using social media at a young age and went on to develop serious issues like anxiety, depression and body dysmorphia.
Snap and TikTok settled the case shortly before trial began, leaving Meta and Google as the two defendants.
Following a weekslong trial, those companies were ordered to pay a combined $6 million in a landmark verdict. The upcoming trial will be closely watched, as a similar result could be significant. Thousands of similar lawsuits are active in both federal and state courts.
More cases, involving both individuals and school districts, are expected to advance to trial in the near future.