Jury selection is set to begin on Wednesday in Los Angeles for another landmark US trial over the alleged harms of social media to young users, with Meta and, for the first time, Snap as defendants. The case is part of a mounting legal wave that has also reached European courtrooms in France, Italy, Denmark, and the Netherlands.
Thousands of lawsuits have been filed in recent years across the US, but the issue is global. In Europe, regulators are pushing back against the dangers of algorithmic feeds, from Norway's expanded under-16 ban to the European Commission's proposed EU Kids Act, which would shift the burden of protecting children online from parents to platforms.
Legal precedents and settlements
The new trial follows a series of legal battles that have forced tech companies to make changes. In March, Meta and YouTube lost the first US case when a jury found them liable for harming a young user known as KGM, ordering them to pay $6 million (€5.4 million). Meta said it "respectfully disagreed" with the verdict. Snap and TikTok settled with KGM before that trial.
Months later, Snap, TikTok, and YouTube settled another case that was set for trial in August. The plaintiff, RKC, then dropped remaining claims against Meta, allowing the company to avoid trial without a settlement. In the current case, TikTok and YouTube have already settled with the plaintiffs, known as SJ and KDB. Meta settled with SJ but not KDB, according to lawyers.
A California state judge consolidated the two cases into a single trial. If no further settlements are reached before opening statements on November 4, both Meta and Snap will face the jury. Star witnesses are expected to testify from mid-November, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri, and Snap CEO Evan Spiegel.
Mounting penalties and regulatory pressure
Earlier this month, a New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay $25 billion (€22.5 billion) for deceiving users about data use, linked to the Cambridge Analytica scandal. A New Mexico jury also found Meta liable for harms to children, leading to a combined penalty of $942 million (€846.7 million). In August, Meta agreed to pay over $18 billion (€16.1 billion) and make changes to Instagram and Facebook for teens when it settled with 52 attorneys general, partly contingent on YouTube and TikTok making similar changes.
These US cases focus on allegations of addictive design and deceptive practices. In the Los Angeles trial, lawyers for SJ and KDB will argue that their clients were exposed to "addictive and problematic" apps when they started using them at 13 and 15. SJ, a teen from Illinois, developed compulsive Snapchat use, leading to mental health issues, an eating disorder, and self-harm. KDB, now 18 from Mississippi, similarly became compulsive users of both Meta and Snap, with worsening health.
Meta has denied the claims, saying it will "not back away from defending ourselves against baseless lawsuits." Snap argues that Snapchat is primarily a messaging platform, unlike Instagram or Facebook. "We believe the evidence will support that we have put our community first," a Snap spokesperson said.
European legal actions
Beyond the US, social media firms face significant legal pushback in Europe. France has seen three cases against TikTok in the last two years. In November 2024, seven families filed a joint lawsuit alleging TikTok exposed teens to harmful content, which later expanded to criminal action and 16 families. Earlier, the mother of 15-year-old Marie filed an individual criminal complaint in 2023, which helped prompt the European Commission to find TikTok in breach of the Digital Services Act.
In Italy, the Italian Parents' Movement (MOIGE) and families brought a collective action in October 2025 seeking stronger age verification for under-14s, more transparency about algorithms, and limits on dark patterns like infinite scrolling. The first hearing took place in May in Milan, with Meta and TikTok attempting to have the case dismissed on jurisdictional grounds.
As regulators worldwide grapple with how to rein in social media use among teens, these trials and legislative efforts are forcing companies to make substantive changes. The outcome of the Los Angeles case could set further precedents, not just in the US but also for European courts and policymakers watching closely.
