Meta, Google Pivot to Plaintiff’s History: California Brief

Meta, Google Pivot to Accuser’s History

Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg arrives at Los Angeles Superior Court on Feb. 18.

Photographer: Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg

Meta and Google started presenting their defense in a landmark trial over social media addiction this week, pivoting to the 20-year-old plantiff’s family and school life to push back on blame for her mental health struggles.

Lawyers for Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, have indicated they plan to call the woman’s therapists as witnesses to demonstrate that her psychological trauma came from influences in her life other than the platforms. Google’s team, meanwhile, is highlighting her historical usage of YouTube to show that in recent years, she spent an average ...