Feb 26 (Reuters) – A California woman is expected to testify on Thursday about how her childhood use of Meta Platforms’ Instagram and Google’s YouTube damaged her mental health, as her landmark trial continues in Los Angeles.
The plaintiff, known in court as Kaley GM, began using Instagram at age 9 and YouTube at age 6, and said the platforms contributed to her depression and body dysmorphia. Her lawyers said the companies were trying to profit by luring young children to their services, even though they knew social media could harm their mental health.
Kaley GM’s testimony comes a day after her former psychotherapist said teenage social media use was a “contributing factor” to her mental health problems.
The case is part of a broader global pushback against social media companies for allegedly harming children and teenagers. Australia has banned such platforms for those under 16, and other countries are considering similar restrictions.
YouTube and Meta have denied the accusations and said evidence in the case did not support the woman’s claims.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs asked therapists to prepare for the next phase of the trial, which will explore whether and how Kelly’s exposure to social media as a child affected her health.
The trial began with a focus on the company’s understanding of how social media affects children, and their business strategies in relation to younger users. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified that the company discussed but never launched a children’s product.
To win the case, Kelly’s lawyers must prove that the way the company designed or operated the platform was a significant factor in causing or worsening her mental health issues.
(Reporting by Courtney Rosen in Washington, Jody Godoy in New York and Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Rod Nickell)