Two teenagers who allege Snapchat and Instagram were designed to be addictive took Snap and Meta to trial in Los Angeles Superior Court, where jury selection began on October 28, 2026. It is the second individual social media addiction trial, opening statements are set for November 4, and there is no class or claim form for anyone else.
Allegations Only · Trial Underway
This article describes a trial that has just begun. The plaintiffs' claims are unproven allegations. Snap and Meta deny them, no verdict has been reached in this case, and there is nothing to claim. This page is informational and is not legal advice.
What Happened?
Jury selection began on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, in the second trial brought by individual plaintiffs who allege that social media companies deliberately designed their apps to be addictive to young users. Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl is presiding in Los Angeles Superior Court, where more than 3,000 of these lawsuits are coordinated as the Social Media Cases, JCCP 5255.The plaintiffs are identified in court papers as S.J., a 16-year-old from Illinois, and K.D.B., an 18-year-old from Mississippi. Both sued in 2023. They allege that features such as autoplay, infinite scroll, push notifications, view counts and Snapchat's Snapstreaks drove them into compulsive use, and that they developed depression, anxiety, eating disorders and self-harm as a result. They are seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.
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Who Is Still on Trial?
The lineup narrowed before the first juror was seated. Both plaintiffs originally sued TikTok, YouTube, Meta and Snap. Both settled with TikTok and YouTube ahead of trial, and S.J. also settled with Meta, on terms that were not disclosed. The trial now covers both plaintiffs' claims against Snap and K.D.B.'s claims against Meta, which owns Instagram and Facebook.Meta and Snap asked Judge Kuhl to split the two cases into separate trials, arguing that trying them together would blur the evidence for jurors. As of October 28, 2026, she had not ruled on that request.
For Snap, the trial is a first. Snap settled with the plaintiff in the first Los Angeles trial before it began, and settled again before an August 2026 trial date, so this is the first time a jury in this litigation will hear Snap's defense of how Snapchat was designed. OCA's Snap trial story covers that history and Snap's defense in detail.
What Do Meta and Snap Say?
Both companies deny the claims. A Snap spokesperson said Snapchat was built differently from traditional social media because it opens to the camera rather than to a feed or a ranking of other people's posts, and that the allegations misrepresent the plaintiffs' experiences on the app. A Meta spokesperson said a young person's mental health is shaped by many factors, that the plaintiff used TikTok far more than Instagram or Facebook, and that her personal circumstances were a substantial factor in her struggles.The companies have also argued that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act shields them from these claims. Judge Kuhl ruled that Section 230 does not bar claims about how the platforms are designed, which is why these cases reached a jury.
Why This Trial Matters
S.J.'s and K.D.B.'s cases were selected as bellwethers, or test cases, so the result can shape how the companies and the remaining plaintiffs value and settle the rest of the coordinated docket. More than 3,800 related lawsuits brought by states, school districts and individuals are also pending in the federal multidistrict litigation in Northern California, MDL 3047.The only earlier verdict came in March 2026, when a Los Angeles jury found Meta and YouTube negligent in the case of a young woman identified as K.G.M. and awarded her $6 million. Meta is appealing, arguing that Section 230 should have barred her claims; a ruling in Meta's favor on that question could affect thousands of pending cases. Several trials scheduled since March ended in settlements or dismissals before reaching a jury. The trial also comes a week after a separate New Mexico case ended with a judge ordering Meta to pay a $25 billion penalty over Facebook privacy statements; that was a state enforcement case, not an injury claim, and Meta plans to appeal. See OCA's coverage of the March verdict.
What Happens Next?
Opening statements are scheduled for November 4, 2026. The Meta testimony is not optional: on September 29, 2026, Judge Kuhl denied Meta’s motion to quash the trial subpoenas for Mark Zuckerberg and Adam Mosseri, both of whom also testified in the first trial in February. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Instagram head Adam Mosseri and Snap CEO Evan Spiegel are expected to testify from mid-November, and the evidence phase is expected to run into mid-December. The court has not published a witness schedule, and trial dates can move, especially if Judge Kuhl grants the request to split the cases.A verdict would decide only these two plaintiffs' claims. It would not create a payment for other families, and anyone else's claim would still have to be brought in its own lawsuit. OCA tracks where those individual cases stand on its social media and teen mental health page.
Questions
Why are TikTok and YouTube not part of the October 2026 trial?
Both teen plaintiffs originally sued TikTok, YouTube, Meta and Snap. Before trial, both settled with TikTok and YouTube, and the 16-year-old Illinois plaintiff also settled with Meta. The settlement terms were not disclosed. That leaves both plaintiffs' claims against Snap and the 18-year-old Mississippi plaintiff's claims against Meta.
Is this a class action?
No. The two plaintiffs are individuals whose cases were picked as bellwethers, or test cases, from more than 3,000 lawsuits coordinated in Los Angeles Superior Court. A verdict pays only the plaintiffs in the case, and there is no class, settlement fund or claim form.
When will Mark Zuckerberg and Evan Spiegel testify?
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Instagram head Adam Mosseri and Snap CEO Evan Spiegel are expected to testify from mid-November 2026, after opening statements scheduled for November 4. The court has not published a witness schedule, and trial calendars often shift.
What happened in the first social media addiction trial?
In March 2026 a Los Angeles jury found Meta and YouTube negligent in the case of a young woman identified as K.G.M. and awarded her $6 million. Snap and TikTok had settled with her before trial. Meta is appealing, arguing that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act should have barred the claims.
Sources
• Reuters, “Meta and Snap face major US legal test of youth social media addiction claims” (October 28, 2026)• Reuters via Insurance Journal, “Meta and Snap Face Major Legal Test of Youth Social Media Addiction Claims” (October 28, 2026, full text)
• LegalScoops, on the September 29, 2026 ruling denying Meta’s motion to quash the Zuckerberg and Mosseri subpoenas (October 20, 2026)
• ABC News, “Jury selection set to begin in Los Angeles in Snap, Meta social media addiction case” (October 28, 2026)
• The Inference, on Snap's earlier settlements and the November 4 opening statements (October 28, 2026)
