tech
January 28, 2026
“IG is a drug”: Internal messages may doom Meta at social media addiction trial
A loss could cost social media companies billions and force changes on platforms.
TL;DR
- Over 1,000 lawsuits allege social media platforms prioritized profits over child safety, leading to addiction, anxiety, depression, and other harms.
- The first high-profile "bellwether" trial targets Meta and YouTube, with claims that K.G.M. suffered psychological harm due to features like infinite scroll and autoplay.
- TikTok and Snapchat settled their cases shortly before the trial, leaving Meta and YouTube as the remaining defendants.
- Platforms argue that external factors, not their design, caused the alleged harm and that legal protections like Section 230 apply.
- Newly unsealed documents suggest Meta and Google intentionally designed features to addict children and teens, with internal research highlighting negative impacts on well-being.
- The judge ruled that K.G.M. presented enough evidence to proceed to trial, rejecting motions for summary judgment from the platforms.
- Expert testimony from a child psychiatrist and a former Meta safety researcher was allowed, which could support claims that design features cause psychopathological harms.