Parents are watching closely for a potentially profound impact on kids on social media as the first of a series of landmark trials began on Monday, seeking to hold tech giants responsible for harms to children.
The crux of one of the first trials in Los Angeles is whether social media platforms are addictive for kids and whether the tech companies knew it and hid it.
Families of children who’ve died as a result of harms related to social media gathered in Los Angeles to show support for holding tech companies accountable.
KDKA’s Kristine Sorensen talked with one of those parents, Christine McComas, who traveled to Los Angeles from Maryland. Her daughter, Grace, died from suicide after severe cyberbullying.
McComas advocates for kids and has helped promote laws protecting kids in Maryland. She says information is coming out in this trial showing the tech companies knew their products were harmful for children, and they chose profits over kids’ wellbeing.
“They could have made a difference, trust and safety, people going to the CEOs and saying, ‘Look, we know this is hurting kids. We could make a change like this right now and it would help them and it would save lives.’ And choices were made over and over again not to do anything,” McComas said.
This jury trial is against Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, and Alphabet, which owns YouTube. Their attorneys argue there is no proof showing that their platforms are addictive, and they pointed out in their opening statements that three of the four doctors the defendant saw did not diagnose her with social media addiction.
Both Snapchat and TikTok already settled in the same case. The trial is expected to last up to eight weeks. You can find more on technology and kids at kdka.com/kidsburgh.
KDKA is proud to partner with kidsburgh.org.