Jury told that Meta, Google ‘engineered addiction’ at landmark US trial

Meta and Google-owned YouTube were accused on Monday, February 9, of pushing highly addictive apps on children as a landmark social media trial began in earnest in a California court.

The blockbuster trial in front of a Los Angeles jury could establish a legal precedent on whether the social media juggernauts deliberately designed their platforms to lead to addiction in children.

The proceedings are expected to see Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg on the stand next week and Instagram boss Adam Mosseri in the courtroom as early as Wednesday. In addition to Instagram, Meta’s platforms include Facebook and WhatsApp.

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