Meta faces trial over Instagram’s impact on youth mental health

A jury trial is underway in the Los Angeles County Superior Court to determine whether social media companies are liable for youth mental health issues or addictive designs. The lawsuit, K.G.M. v. Platforms et al., centers on claims by 19-year-old plaintiff K.G.M. She alleges that using social media at a young age was harmful to her mental health, leading her to become addicted to the technology and develop depression, including thoughts of suicide. While other defendants, including Snap and TikTok, settled before trial, executives from Meta and YouTube are providing testimony.

During February proceedings, lawyers for the plaintiffs presented internal documentation revealed during CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s testimony. The documents showed that Instagram tracked time spent on the app, with daily usage growing from 40 minutes per day in 2023 to 46 minutes per day in 2026. The plaintiff’s legal team is hoping to prove that Meta set internal goals to increase time spent on Instagram despite knowing minors were on the platform.

To support this, the lawyers referenced internal emails from a former product manager stating that the company’s overall goal was total teen time spent, and that Zuckerberg decided teens were the top priority in the first half of 2017. Documents from December 2018 also identified tweens as the highest retention age group in the U.S. Separately, internal documentation indicated Meta’s current hope is for Instagram to be the largest teen destination by monthly active users in the U.S. and globally. Plaintiffs also highlighted that 2015 internal documents showed the company knew of 4 million children under 13 on the app, representing 30% of all 10- to 12-year-olds in the U.S. Zuckerberg was pressed on why he told Congress in 2024 that children under 13 were not allowed on the platform.

Meta disputes that its app is responsible for the plaintiff’s mental health struggles. Meta spokesperson Stephanie Otway stated, “The question for the jury in Los Angeles is whether Instagram was a substantial factor in the plaintiff’s mental health struggles. The evidence will show she faced many significant, difficult challenges well before she ever used social media”

In testimony, Zuckerberg pushed back, stating he answered Congress honestly regarding company policies and that Instagram removed underage users when found. He clarified that tracked milestones, which refer to usage targets, were not specific goals for the Instagram team. However, the plaintiff’s lawyers pointed to an email from former adviser Nick Clegg stating Instagram’s age requirements were basically unenforceable. While plaintiffs argued Instagram did not require birthdays until August 2021, Meta responded that it began asking for ages at sign-up for new users in 2019.

Why it matters

This case represents a critical legal test for whether social media platforms can be held liable for the design choices that drive user engagement among minors. The outcome could establish new precedents for platform regulation and liability both in the U.S. and globally.