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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Barbara Ortutay

Social media companies face legal reckoning over mental health harms to children

APTOPIX Social Media Kids Trial - (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

For years, social media companies have disputed allegations that they harm children’s mental health through deliberate design choices that addict kids to their platforms and fail to protect them from sexual predators and dangerous content. Now, these tech giants are getting a chance to make their case in courtrooms around the country, including before a jury for the first time.

Some of the biggest players from Meta to TikTok are facing federal and state trials that seek to hold them responsible for harming children's mental health. The lawsuits have come from school districts, local, state and the federal government as well as thousands of families.

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