Big Tech's 'Tobacco Trial' Begins: Teen Mental Health Case Against Social Media Giants Goes to Jury

• A landmark trial has begun in Los Angeles, comparing Big Tech's accountability for teen mental health to the historic 'tobacco trials'.
• KGM, a 19-year-old California woman, and her mother Karen Glenn are suing TikTok, Meta (Instagram), and Google's YouTube, alleging addictive design led to KGM's self-harm and suicidal thoughts.
• The lawsuit claims platforms knowingly designed features to keep young users hooked, enabled evasion of parental controls, and exposed KGM to bullying, sextortion, and harmful content.
• Executives from Meta, TikTok, and YouTube are expected to testify in the trial, which could influence over 1,000 similar personal injury lawsuits across the US.
• Critics argue that safety features introduced by these companies came too late, after years of prioritizing engagement algorithms over user well-being.

Why It Matters: Big Tech faces a critical jury trial over social media's impact on teen mental health, potentially reshaping the industry.