Parents Sue Tech Giants Over 'Addictive' Apps

Landmark lawsuit alleges Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Snap designed products to be intentionally addictive, contributing to teen suicides.

Published on Feb. 8, 2026

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A group of 13 parents have filed a lawsuit in a California state court accusing Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Snap of designing their apps to be intentionally addictive, likening the products to 'cigarettes or cars without seatbelts.' The trial, known as the KGM case, will be the first to focus on product liability rather than content moderation, and could open the floodgates for over 1,200 similar lawsuits across the U.S. if the parents prevail.

Why it matters

The KGM case represents a major shift in the legal battle between 'Big Tech' and its critics. Rather than targeting the platforms' content policies, the lawsuit alleges the very design of the apps is defective and destructive, contributing to a rise in teen suicides. A win for the parents could lead to a massive settlement akin to the 1998 tobacco payout, while a loss would dampen momentum for the dozens of pending cases.

The details

The lawsuit alleges that the tech giants' algorithms 'unsolicitedly' sent a dangerous choking-challenge video to a 15-year-old, leading to a fatal accident. Psychologist Jonathan Haidt has compiled 31 internal Meta reports suggesting the company knew its products could cause 'industrial-scale' harm to young users. Experts will testify that the platforms' design choices, hidden behind corporate secrecy, have deliberately made the apps addictive.

  • The trial is scheduled to begin in a California state courthouse on a balmy Los Angeles morning.
  • Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram head Adam Mosseri are slated to appear as witnesses.

The players

KGM

A group of 13 parents who have filed the lawsuit against Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Snap, accusing the tech giants of designing addictive apps that contributed to their children's suicides.

Jonathan Haidt

A psychologist who has compiled 31 internal Meta reports suggesting the company knew its products could cause 'industrial-scale' harm to young users.

Laura Marquez-Garrett

An attorney at the Social Media Victims Law Center who says the trial will bring 'transparency' to the design choices that have long been hidden behind corporate secrecy.

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What they’re saying

“There's a difference between correlation and causation.”

— Mark Zuckerberg, CEO, Meta (Congressional testimony (2024)

“The trial will finally bring transparency to the design choices that have long been hidden behind corporate secrecy.”

— Laura Marquez-Garrett, Attorney, Social Media Victims Law Center

What’s next

Beyond the California trial, a separate set of federal cases involving school districts and state attorneys general will go to trial this summer in Oakland, consolidating another 1,200 cases filed in federal courts. The outcomes of these parallel processes will shape how platforms redesign their products and market them to younger audiences.

The takeaway

This landmark lawsuit represents a significant shift in the legal battle against 'Big Tech,' moving beyond content moderation to focus on the very design of social media apps. If the parents prevail, it could open the floodgates for similar claims and lead to a massive settlement, forcing platforms to rethink how they build and market their products to younger users.