Overview
- Jurors in Los Angeles have been deliberating since March 13 and have sought guidance on the plaintiff’s family circumstances and platform use, with nine of 12 votes sufficient for a civil verdict.
- The 20-year-old plaintiff, identified as Kaley G.M., says Instagram and YouTube fostered addiction that worsened depression and suicidal thoughts, while Meta and YouTube argue her struggles stemmed from a turbulent home life and that safety tools were available.
- Plaintiffs advance a product-design theory targeting features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, notifications and recommendation engines, framing them as defective choices beyond Section 230’s content immunity.
- TikTok and Snap settled before trial for undisclosed sums, leaving Meta and Google as defendants, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified in February.
- A separate New Mexico consumer-protection case against Meta is in its seventh week of testimony with no jury deliberations yet, and prosecutors say violations could bring billions in penalties and court-ordered remedial programs.