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Is social media having its Big Tobacco moment?

A landmark trial on social media addiction is putting tech giants in the dock.

**This episode contains discussion of bullying, abuse and suicide**
A landmark trial is underway in Los Angeles where tech giants Instagram and YouTube will face a jury for the first time over claims that their platforms are deliberately designed to be addictive for children.
Lawyers for the plaintiff 鈥 a 20 year-old woman 鈥 say she developed mental health issues after becoming addicted to the social media at an early age. They argue these companies built 鈥渁ddiction machines鈥 with algorithms that learn what users want and keep feeding it to them.
Instagram and YouTube deny the allegations, saying that they have no incentive to turn children into addicts and have introduced various safety measures. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify later this week.
We speak to the 麻豆社鈥檚 North America Technology Correspondent Lily Jamali, who has been following the case, to ask whether social media is having a generational reckoning 鈥 its Big Tobacco moment.
Producers: Aron Keller and Xandra Ellin
Executive producer: James Shield
Mix: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
Photo: Vigil outside the courthouse ahead of a social media addiction trial in Los Angeles. Credit: Reuters/ Jill Connelly.

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26 minutes

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  • Mon 16 Feb 2026 11:32GMT
  • Tue 17 Feb 2026 01:32GMT

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