“When I was in middle school, I used to go and hide in the counselor’s office … just to go on my phone.”
This is how KGM, a young woman suing multiple Big Tech companies, described her compulsive use of social media.
As a young teenager, KGM would spend “every waking hour” scrolling through social media. She felt incapable of stopping, even though her feeds were full of content that distressed her—sexual harassment from older men, bullying from peers, hateful comments from strangers, content promoting self-harm or restrictive eating…
This content was destroying KGM’s mental health, even fueling suicidal thoughts. Yet the young girl clung to her phone like a lifeline.
KGM’s sister explained, “Whenever my mom would take her phone away … she would have a meltdown like someone had died.”
Her mother said it got to a point where she couldn’t even get the phone out of KGM’s hand.
“I wish I never downloaded it,” KGM declared. “I wish I never got it in the first place.”
This is the harrowing and, unfortunately, all too common story of one of the plaintiffs in the 2026 Social Media Addiction Trials.
What are the 2026 Social Media Addiction Trials?
These trials are a combination of suits from thousands of plaintiffs, including families, school districts, and local and state governments and AGs. All allege that Big Tech companies deliberately designed their products to addict children, while knowing full well the scale of harm this caused to their mental health.
The tech companies being sued include Meta (Facebook & Instagram), Snapchat, TikTok, and Alphabet (YouTube & Google). And, for the first time, the CEOs and top executives of these companies will need to stand in court and answer for what their products have done to children. Mark Zuckerberg himself is set to testify.
A Landmark Moment, Believed to Be Impossible
This is a landmark moment in the fight for child online safety. For so long, many believed it was impossible to get Big Tech companies into the courtrooms. Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act offered such broad legal immunity to these companies that virtually every lawsuit was tossed out before it could even get started.
This meant plaintiffs who alleged harm were never able to make it to discovery—the step in a lawsuit where plaintiffs can order the defendants to hand over evidence, and vice versa. As a result, it was impossible to pull back the curtain and reveal what Big Tech really knew and what harms they intentionally inflicted.
But now we know.
Evidence from these suits indicate that Big Tech executives knew full well that their platforms contributed to serious harms, such as compulsive use, anxiety and depression, self-harm, suicidal ideation, eating disorders, child sexual exploitation, and more. And now, we have a real chance at holding them accountable.
TikTok and Snap Settled with KGM
Shortly before KGM’s trial began, TikTok and Snapchat both agreed to settle the case. It has not been disclosed what the plaintiff received in damages.
KGM is just one of many plaintiffs bringing a case, and TikTok and Snap remain defendants in the thousands of other cases.
Yet this first settlement shows that Big Tech companies are scared. They know they did wrong, and they know their time of impunity is coming to a close.
We are eager to see how the trials continue to play out. Make sure you are signed up for our email list so we can keep you updated!
We also wish to voice our deepest gratitude to the brave plaintiffs who have come forward, as well as advocacy organizations like the Institute for Families and Technology, Tech Oversight Project, Heat Initiative, Parents Together, Parents Rise, and more, who have done so much important work covering these cases.
ACTION: Ask the House to Pass the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA)!
KOSA would require social media companies to design their platforms with “reasonable care” to avoid harm for children. Urge your Representatives to support this important bill!
