Social media titans Meta (Instagram/Facebook) and Google (YouTube) confront a seismic reckoning as a California jury dissects allegations their platforms were architected as addictive “digital casinos” targeting vulnerable children, prioritizing profits over mental health. Opening salvos fired February 9, 2026, in Los Angeles Superior Court—this bellwether case, the first U.S. jury trial on platform addiction, could redefine tech liability amid 1,600+ similar suits from 350 families across 250 districts.
The Human Face: K.G.M.’s “Hijacked Youth”
Lead plaintiff K.G.M. (aka Kaley), now 20, recounts a childhood ensnared: YouTube at age 6, Instagram at 9, posting 284 videos before elementary school. She alleges bullying, sextortion on Instagram—taking weeks for Meta to respond despite pleas—and spiralling anxiety, body dysmorphia, depression, suicidal ideation. Lawyer Mark Lanier stacked wooden ABC blocks in court: “Addicting, Brains, Children,” slamming relentless notifications, infinite scrolls, beauty filters exploiting teen dopamine via variable rewards like slot machines.
Addiction Science vs. Corporate Defense
Plaintiffs cite neuroscience: platforms hijack developing brains with “likes, streaks” mimicking gambling highs; K.G.M. bypassed parental controls via loopholes. Meta/YouTube counter: no medical consensus on “social media addiction“; harms from family issues, bullying—not design. Meta’s Jose Castaneda: “Allegations baseless.” They highlight supervision tools, filters,and Section 230 protections for user content. Jury weighs if negligence caused harm over offline factors.
New Mexico’s Parallel Predator Probe
Echoing in Santa Fe: AG Raúl Torrez’s February 2 trial claims Meta enabled 500,000 daily inappropriate child contacts—10x Pornhub’s—via predatory DMs, explicit recs, unmoderated groups. Undercover teen accounts drew solicitations; algorithms hooked kids, nurtured predator havens. Meta accused of Unfair Practices Act violations, public nuisance for profits-over-safety. Zuckerberg testimony looms post-motions denial.
Internal Docs: The Smoking Guns?
Ex-exec Arturo Béjar (Meta safety vet, “world-class expertise”) testifies: buried research on teen suicide risks, bullying; features promoted compulsive use; ignored warnings reached C-suite. Google Docs likened YouTube to casinos; Meta chat: Instagram “like a drug,” staff “pushers.” Defence: can’t police all UGC.
Global Ripples and Policy Precedents
TikTok settled Jan 20 (undisclosed); Snapchat pre-trial. Win? Damages, age-gates, algorithm audits—billions at stake, mirroring tobacco suits. Accelerates EU DSA, India IT Rules, U.S. regs. Platforms pledge self-regulation amid screen-time debates.
Expert Insights and Jury Stakes
Media prof Clay Calvert: Tests negligence vs. Big Tech immunity. Jurors (75 vetted daily) face explicit evidence, internal memos. Bellwether outcome sways thousands of cases; redesign for “safety by design” or parental duty affirmed?
The Reckoning: Redesign or Resist?
Juries pore over code, confessions: Mandate well-being feeds or entrench empires? Path ahead: Less toxic digital childhoods, probing if profit trumps protection in the attention economy.
