Landmark Social Media Addiction Trial Reaches Closing Arguments

Plaintiff's lawyer accuses tech giants of designing addictive platforms to profit off children's attention.

Mar. 12, 2026 at 5:41pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The first social media addiction trial to make tech giants face a jury has reached closing arguments. The plaintiff, a former minor identified as K.G.M., is suing social media companies like Meta, YouTube, TikTok, and Snap, accusing them of deliberately designing their platforms to be more addictive to children for profit. K.G.M. testified that her nearly nonstop social media use "really affected [her] self-worth." The plaintiff's lawyer compared the platforms' features to a "Trojan horse," saying they engineered addiction to capture user attention and sell it to advertisers. If the jury rules in K.G.M.'s favor, the tech companies could face damages to be determined by the jury, which could set the tone for whether they choose to fight or settle the over 1,600 similar lawsuits expected to go to trial.

Why it matters

This landmark case could set a legal precedent for whether social media platforms are responsible for causing mental health issues in children. The outcome could have far-reaching implications for the tech industry and how it designs products targeting young users.

The details

K.G.M.'s lawsuit accuses social media companies of deliberately designing their platforms to be more addictive to children for the purposes of profit. Her lawyer compared Instagram's endless scroll and YouTube's autoplay to free tortilla chips at a restaurant, noting that engagement metrics and notifications keep users hooked, especially teenagers who crave social approval and lack the resolve of adults. The lawyer argued that "every second [K.G.M.] spends on YouTube or Instagram is a second they can sell to an advertiser." If the jury rules in K.G.M.'s favor, the tech companies could face damages to be determined by the jury, which could set the tone for whether they choose to fight or settle the oncoming cases.

  • The closing arguments for the trial began on March 12, 2026.

The players

K.G.M.

The plaintiff, a former minor at the time of the incidents outlined in her lawsuit, who is suing social media companies for designing addictive platforms that harmed her mental health.

Mark Lanier

The lawyer representing K.G.M. in the trial.

Meta

The parent company of Instagram and Facebook, which is a defendant in the lawsuit.

YouTube

The video platform, which is a defendant in the lawsuit.

TikTok

The social media platform, which is a defendant in the lawsuit.

Snap

The social media platform, which is a defendant in the lawsuit.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“How do you make a child never put down the phone? That's called the engineering of addiction. They engineered it, they put these features on the phones.”

— Mark Lanier, Plaintiff's Lawyer

“These are Trojan horses: they look wonderful and great ... but you invite them in and they take over.”

— Mark Lanier, Plaintiff's Lawyer

“How did they become such behemoths? It's the attention economy. They're making money off capturing your attention ... Every second [K.G.M.] spends on YouTube or Instagram is a second they can sell to an advertiser.”

— Mark Lanier, Plaintiff's Lawyer

“Win or lose the outcome of this trial, victims in the United States have won because now we know that social media companies can and will be held accountable before a fair and impartial jury.”

— Matt Bergman, Founding Attorney, Social Media Victims Law Center

What’s next

The jury will deliberate and deliver a verdict in the coming weeks, which could set the tone for whether the tech companies choose to fight or settle the oncoming cases.

The takeaway

This landmark trial highlights the growing concerns around the impact of social media platforms on the mental health of young users. The outcome could lead to significant changes in how tech companies design and operate their products, with potentially far-reaching consequences for the industry and society as a whole.