A jury trial is currently taking place in Los Angeles, where the leaders of Meta and Google are being scrutinized for their practices regarding youth engagement on social media. Specifically, the trial is centered around accusations that these tech giants have deliberately created addictive features in their applications targeted at children to boost their profits. As part of the court proceedings, Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, is set to testify regarding the potential impacts of the app's design on the mental health of minors.

The case has been brought forth by a 20-year-old woman, referred to as K.G.M. in legal documents and known as Kaley in court. She claims to have started using social media at the age of six, during which time she was exposed to harmful content and filters that exacerbated her mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and distorted self-image. The defense argues that Kaley's access to this kind of detrimental content has significantly intensified her mental health struggles, raising urgent questions about the responsibility these platforms hold over their younger users.

This groundbreaking trial is expected to unfold over eight weeks, with Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg also scheduled to testify later in the month. The outcomes of this case could set critical precedents for how social media companies design their platforms and, more broadly, their accountability for the mental health of younger generations exposed to their products. The implications of the trial are being closely monitored, as they may influence future regulations and practices within the tech industry, particularly in relation to children's online safety.