Jury selection in the Meta Snap trial was set to begin Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, in Los Angeles, testing claims that Instagram and Snapchat features drove compulsive use and mental-health harm. Mark Zuckerberg, Instagram head Adam Mosseri and Snap CEO Evan Spiegel are expected to testify. TikTok and YouTube have settled, and the case is a test for thousands of similar suits.
Key Takeaways
- Jury selection was set for Oct. 28, 2026, in Los Angeles.
- Snap faces both plaintiffs; Meta is defending only K.D.B.
- Zuckerberg, Mosseri and Spiegel are expected from mid-November.
- A March jury awarded a combined $6 million against Meta and YouTube.
What the Meta Snap Trial Puts Before a Jury
The Straits Times reported jury selection was expected to begin on Oct. 28 in Los Angeles, with opening statements on Nov. 4 if no further settlements are reached. ABC News said selection begins Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court. Insurance Journal identified the judge as Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Carolyn Kuhl and called the case only the second individual-plaintiff trial over claims that platforms were deliberately designed to be addictive.
The plaintiffs are S.J., a 16-year-old from Illinois, and K.D.B., an 18-year-old from Mississippi, who sued in 2023, Insurance Journal reported. That outlet said they began on YouTube as early as age 3 or 4 and on other platforms around age 9, alleging autoplay and infinite scroll drove compulsive use, depression, anxiety and eating disorders.
Euronews reported lawyers will argue they were exposed to “addictive and problematic” apps at 13 and 15, respectively. ABC News reported both girls say features such as Snapstreaks, push notifications and view counts worsened their mental health. Separately, ABC reported K.D.B. claims compulsive use of Snapchat and Instagram contributed to depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicidal thoughts.
Insurance Journal said these two lawsuits are among more than 3,000 consolidated in Los Angeles Superior Court, and that the cases were selected as bellwethers.
Who Still Has to Defend
Deals have already cut the defendant list. This is Snap’s first time as a defendant in this kind of trial, Euronews reported. Euronews and The Straits Times reported a California state judge consolidated both cases into a single trial.
- Snap still faces claims by S.J. and K.D.B.
- Meta settled with S.J. and is defending only K.D.B.
- TikTok and YouTube settled with both plaintiffs before trial.
- Zuckerberg, Mosseri and Spiegel are expected from mid-November.
Meta and Snap asked Judge Kuhl to split the cases, arguing that trying them together would unfairly mix up the evidence, Insurance Journal reported. She has not ruled.
Figures From Earlier Social Media Cases
In March, a Los Angeles jury found Meta and YouTube negligent toward Kaley G.M., also called K.G.M., and awarded a combined $6 million, Insurance Journal and ABC News reported. Snap and TikTok had settled with her. Meta said that they “respectfully disagree,” The Straits Times reported. Meta is appealing and argues Section 230 should have barred the claims, Insurance Journal reported.
That outlet reported the trial judge disagreed that Section 230 bars design claims. According to experts cited by Insurance Journal, a ruling for Meta on Section 230 could derail thousands of youth suits.
In August, Meta settled state claims without admitting wrongdoing and agreed to change teen access to Instagram and Facebook. ABC News described a deal with 48 states for up to $18 billion, including time limits, disabling some filters and hiding like counts. Euronews and The Straits Times reported more than $18 billion with 52 attorneys general.
A spokesperson told ABC News the “agreement with 52 bipartisan attorneys general” includes “strict time limits, no access at night, and no notifications during school hours.”
| Matter | Reported result | Figure |
|---|---|---|
| March Los Angeles verdict | Meta and YouTube negligent; Meta appealing | $6 million combined |
| August state settlement | No admission of wrongdoing | Up to $18 billion |
| New Mexico data case | Judge ordered Meta to pay | $25 billion |
| New Mexico child-harms case | Jury found Meta liable | $942 million |
Euronews reported a New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay $25 billion for deceiving users about data use in a Cambridge Analytica-linked case, after an earlier $942 million jury penalty for harms to children. Insurance Journal counted more than 3,800 related federal suits.
How Meta and Snap Describe the Apps
A Meta spokesperson told ABC News:
We disagree with these allegations and will defend ourselves in court. A young person’s mental health is shaped by many factors, as the evidence in this trial will show.
The spokesperson added that the plaintiff “used TikTok far more than Instagram or Facebook.”
A Snap spokesperson told ABC News that Snapchat “opens to a camera, not a feed, not a ranking of what other people post or other social comparison metrics,” and that the claims “fundamentally misrepresent the plaintiffs’ experiences on Snapchat and how our platform was designed.”
Emily Jeffcott, an attorney representing the Mississippi plaintiff, said in a statement reported by Insurance Journal that “we look forward to educating the jury about the dangers of features like endless feeds, autoplay and streaks and how Meta – and allegedly Snap as well – have implemented and emphasized these features.”
Design Limits Already in Dispute
ABC News reported Meta is calling for TikTok, YouTube and Snap to make similar safety changes. Euronews said part of the August deal depended on YouTube and TikTok limiting daily screen time.
Euronews also noted social media bans in Australia and Europe, and European Commission findings that Meta’s infinite scroll and autoplay violated the Digital Services Act.
