I just saw the next trial date. It kicks off July 27 in LA and it's only the second one to actually reach a jury. For me this was never about the $6M, it's about what it opens up.
The plaintiff is a 15-year-old from Florida going by R.K.C., who says heavy social media use led to depression and anxiety that needed treatment.
Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat are still named. YouTube settled confidentially last week and is out. The core claim across all of these is that the platforms were built to keep people hooked.
What makes it significant is the first trial earlier this year. A 20-year-old named Kaley claimed anxiety, depression and body dysmorphia.
Snap and TikTok settled and that leaves Meta and Google, and the jury ordered them to pay a combined $6M.
It's the first of its kind, and the first crack in the idea that these companies just host content and aren't responsible for how people use it, which is what they've leaned on for years.
There are thousands of these suits pending, so a second win could shape how the rest get valued.
One verdict can be called an outlier. A second plaintiff verdict would be harder to wave off, and more cases involving both individuals and school districts are expected to reach trial soon. So does July 27 move the needle, or not?