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US: 'Historic Trial' Against Social Media Giants for Addicting Children

Published January 26, 2026, 09:11
US: 'Historic Trial' Against Social Media Giants for Addicting Children

A historic trial is beginning in Los Angeles against social media giants Alphabet (YouTube), ByteDance (TikTok), and Meta (Instagram), alleging they intentionally designed their platforms to be addictive to children and teenagers. The lawsuits claim that the addictive features of the platforms have led to depression, eating disorders, psychiatric hospitalization, and even suicide. The companies are accused not of the content published, but of their business models designed to grab users' attention and promote harmful content. Meta co-founder Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify as a witness. The trial is expected to create a legal precedent regarding the responsibility of social media companies for the impact of their platforms on the mental health of young people.