Why social media giants are on trial in the US for hooking kids

SAN FRANCISCO - A flood of lawsuits against social media giants claim that by engineering their platforms to be hard to resist, the companies are causing serious harm to young users.In the first personal injury case to go to trial, a Los Angeles jury in March found Meta Platforms and Google negligent in the design and

Jonathan Haidt says trial against Meta could force a ‘change in behavior’ for social media  CNN

WSJ Opinion: Social Media on Trial  WSJ

NewsUK NewsCrimeThe seller had never been in trouble with the law before15:10, 23 Aug 2026The eurasian goshawk was mounted in a glass display case together with a thrush A 65-year-old man fell foul of the law when he listed an item for sale online.‌The man was attempting to sell a taxidermied bird of prey, and 'didn't

A landmark trial which accuses tech giant Meta of harming children through addictive social media products is underway in Oakland. Kenny Choi has the details.

The Doddaballapura Town police have registered a case against a 25-year-old AC mechanic for allegedly maintaining contact with individuals on social media accounts linked to Pakistan and engaging with content featuring Pakistani gangsters.The accused has been identified as Syed Abubakar, a resident of Islampura in Dodd

Prediction markets already get a bad rap online from some social media users, and now a new app that blends livestreaming and live betting is unleashing a new wave of social media outrage. In a poll earlier this year, 29% of Americans said they viewed the growing popularity of prediction markets as negative, compared t

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"These trials are often compared to the Big Tobacco lawsuits of the 90s, and the outcome will likely be analogous as well," one analyst told CNBC.

The plaintiff, a 15-year-old girl from New Jersey identified in California court records as PM-Y, had alleged the platforms' owners -- Meta Platforms, Google, and Snap Inc -- contributed to her social media addiction, depression, and self-harm.

The public and policy makers don't believe Meta's claim it's trying to keep children safe on social media, an academic says.

The social media giant is defending itself in a California federal court against allegations that its social media business poses harms to children and teenagers.