Instagram chief Adam Mosseri is set to testify Wednesday in a Los Angeles courtroom in a closely watched social media addiction trial that could reshape the legal landscape for tech giants.
The case, unfolding in California state court, accuses Meta (parent company of Instagram and Facebook) and YouTube of deliberately designing their platforms to be addictive to children and teenagers in pursuit of profits and user growth.
Legal analysts say the lawsuit could establish a powerful precedent for hundreds of similar cases pending across the United States.
Allegations of Engineered Addiction
Lawyers for the plaintiff argue that social media companies intentionally engineered their platforms to exploit young users’ developing brains.
“This case is about two of the richest corporations in history who have engineered addiction in children’s brains,” said plaintiffs’ attorney Mark Lanier during opening statements.
“They don’t only build apps; they build traps.”
The lawsuit centers on a 20-year-old woman identified as Kaley G.M., who claims she suffered severe mental health harm after becoming addicted to social media as a child.
According to court filings, she began watching YouTube at age six, joined Instagram at 11, and later used Snapchat and TikTok during her early teenage years.
YouTube Rejects Addiction Claims
Attorneys representing YouTube, owned by Google, strongly denied the allegations.
“It’s not social media addiction when it’s not social media, and it’s not addiction,” YouTube lawyer Luis Li told the 12-member jury.
Li argued that YouTube functions more like a streaming service such as Netflix rather than a traditional social media platform like Instagram or TikTok. He maintained that users return because of content quality, not algorithmic manipulation.
The defense also cited internal company emails allegedly showing that YouTube executives prioritized educational and socially useful content over viral engagement tactics.
Expert Testimony: Social Media as a “Drug”
The plaintiffs’ first expert witness, Dr. Anna Lembke, a Stanford University School of Medicine professor and author of Dopamine Nation, testified that she considers social media addictive in a manner comparable to drugs.
She told jurors that the brain’s impulse-control mechanisms are not fully developed until around age 25.
“Which is why teenagers will often take risks that they shouldn’t and not appreciate future consequences,” Lembke said.
She described early exposure to platforms such as YouTube as potentially acting as a “gateway” to heavier social media use.
A Bellwether Case for Big Tech
The trial is widely viewed as a bellwether case that could influence ongoing and future litigation against major social media companies.
Meta, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat currently face hundreds of lawsuits alleging that their platforms contribute to:
Teen depression
Eating disorders
Anxiety and psychiatric hospitalisation
Self-harm and suicide
Legal experts note that plaintiffs are using strategies similar to those deployed in lawsuits against the tobacco industry in the 1990s and early 2000s — cases that ultimately resulted in massive settlements and regulatory changes.
Potential Industry-Wide Impact
If the jury finds that social media platforms were intentionally designed to foster addiction among minors, the verdict could trigger stricter regulations, financial penalties, and sweeping changes to how platforms design algorithms and youth safety features.
With Adam Mosseri expected to take the stand, attention is now focused on how Meta will defend Instagram’s design practices and youth engagement strategies.
The outcome could redefine corporate accountability in the digital age.
