The legal battleground is shifting. A pivotal lawsuit targeting tech giants Meta, Alphabet’s YouTube, and TikTok is set to commence this week in Los Angeles Superior Court. This marks the inaugural trial stemming from a wave of high-profile litigation in 2026, all centered on the accusation that these platforms have intentionally misled the public regarding the safety of their applications. Plaintiffs contend that specific design choices within these apps were known to contribute to various harms experienced by young users.
For years, social media companies have leveraged Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, a provision shielding online platforms from liability for user-generated content. In response, the plaintiffs in these cases are strategically focusing their arguments on alleged design flaws and the companies’ subsequent misrepresentations about platform safety, aiming to circumvent the protections offered by Section 230.
These unfolding trials have drawn parallels to the landmark litigation against “Big Tobacco” in the 1990s, with industry analysts suggesting that the outcomes could profoundly influence future regulatory frameworks and public perception of these tech behemoths.
The case initiating this week involves a young woman alleging that features and characteristics of platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube fostered addiction during her minor years. While Snap, the company behind Snapchat, was also named in the original civil suit, it reached a settlement with the plaintiff prior to the trial’s commencement.
Adding to the legal pressure, a separate trial is scheduled to begin shortly in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In this instance, the state’s attorney general alleges that Meta’s Facebook and Instagram platforms failed to adequately protect minors from online predators who allegedly sexually exploited children using their services. This New Mexico case is distinct from numerous other lawsuits filed by state attorneys general across the United States, which broadly claim that design defects in Meta’s applications have negatively impacted the mental well-being of children. Meta has indicated it anticipates these cases to proceed in the latter half of 2026.
Furthermore, a federal trial is anticipated to start later this year in the Northern District of California, also naming Meta, TikTok, YouTube, and Snap. This litigation echoes similar allegations, contending that these companies engineered applications designed to encourage unhealthy and addictive behaviors among adolescents and children. Beyond these, New York City initiated its own lawsuit in October, asserting that Meta, Google, Snap, and TikTok have cultivated addictive platforms that contribute to mental health challenges in young people.
In the current trial, legal teams representing the three social media giants are expected to argue that liability should rest with the third-party content creators rather than their product designs.
Filed in 2022 by a plaintiff identified as “KGM” and her mother, this lawsuit stands as the first of its kind to reach a trial and is widely viewed as a bellwether for numerous other similar cases filed nationwide. The core allegation is that tech companies knowingly incorporated features like autoplay and infinite scroll, specifically to enhance platform addictiveness and, consequently, contribute to mental health issues.
Google anticipates the trial to span six to eight weeks, with jury selection potentially taking up to a week, and opening statements slated for early February. The proceedings are expected to feature high-profile witnesses. In October, Judge Carolyn Kuhl ruled that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram Chief Adam Mosseri must testify. While Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai or YouTube CEO Neal Mohan could be called to the stand, neither has been formally ordered to do so yet.
In its defense, Google has emphasized its distinction as a streaming platform rather than solely a social media entity, highlighting its commitment to developing age-appropriate user experiences and its work with experts in this domain. A spokesperson for Google stated, “Providing young people with a safer, healthier experience has always been core to our work. The allegations in these complaints are simply not true.”
A Meta spokesperson directed attention to a recent company blog post that outlines its defense strategy, asserting that recent lawsuits misrepresent the company’s dedication to fostering safe and beneficial online environments for young individuals. The blog post emphasizes, “Protecting teens while allowing them to access the benefits of social media is one of the most important challenges our industry must address.” TikTok has not yet responded to requests for comment.
The potential financial ramifications for the involved companies could be substantial. Although Meta, Alphabet, and TikTok are named as co-defendants, the judge may issue separate rulings and penalties for each, should they be found liable. Meta has previously alerted investors in an October filing that potential monetary damages, in certain cases, could reach the tens of billions of dollars if found liable. Google, conversely, anticipates that any liabilities would primarily be monetary, with limited injunctive relief, suggesting that a judge could potentially mandate changes to the platforms’ algorithmic features.
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