(KMJ) Jury selection is underway in Los Angeles in a landmark trial about the effects of social media on minors.
The case centers on a teenager who accuses tech companies, Meta and Google, of intentionally creating addictive content that wreaked havoc on her mental health.
This is just one of several high-profile trials facing social media giants claiming they are addictive and are harmful to children.
In the L.A. case, a 19-year old identified as K.G.M and her mother are suing for unspecified monetary damages.
They claim the tech giants knowingly created addictive features which led to self harm, depression and suicidal thoughts.
The trial is expected to get underway next week with Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg expected to take the stand on Feb. 9th.
TikTok and Snap, which were co-defendants, settled their portion of the case for an undisclosed amount. TikTok settled only hours before jury selection began.
“This is the first time families have ever had their right to a day in court,” Matthew Bergman, the Social Media Victims Law Center attorney representing plaintiffs suing the companies, told reporters last week. ”This is a historic point.”
For years, social media companies have gotten lawsuits dismissed by relying on a decades-old law, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which exempts them from liability for most user-posted content on their platforms.
