Meta, Snap face jury selection in teen social media harm lawsuit

Jury selection is scheduled to begin Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court in a lawsuit alleging that addictive features on Meta and Snap apps worsened the mental health of two teenage girls, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. Both companies dispute the allegations.

The case could serve as a bellwether as states, school districts and individuals pursue penalties and changes to technology companies' products, ABC7 Los Angeles reported. The allegations focus on whether app features encouraged compulsive use and harmed young users.

An 18-year-old plaintiff from Mississippi, identified as K.D.B., alleges that compulsive use of Snapchat and Instagram contributed to depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicidal thoughts, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. The lawsuit involves two teenage girls.

The plaintiffs point to features such as Snapstreaks, push notifications and view counts as drivers of compulsive use. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel and Instagram's top executive, Adam Mosseri, are expected to testify in November, the station reported.

Snap said the allegations mischaracterize the plaintiffs' experiences and cited its camera-first design, safeguards and safety resources. Meta also disputed the claims, pointing to other influences on the plaintiff's mental health and protections it has developed for teenage users, according to the report.

A March trial in the same courtroom ended with a $6 million award to a plaintiff identified as K.G.M. against Meta and YouTube, ABC7 Los Angeles reported. Those companies are appealing. Snap and TikTok settled before that trial.

The station also reported that Meta agreed in August to a settlement with 48 states that called for payments of up to $18 billion and changes to its apps for young users. Meta did not admit wrongdoing.

The anticipated November testimony from Zuckerberg, Spiegel and Mosseri will bring executives from both companies into a trial centered on disputed claims about app design and teenage mental health.