A related New Mexico case is nearing a second trial phase, with potential implications for platform reforms and settlements.

Experts and advocates continue debating the effectiveness of safety measures and the impact of influencer marketing on perceptions of Instagram Teen Accounts.

Platforms argued there was insufficient evidence tying mental-health harms to social media use and noted that counseling referrals do not prove social media addiction as the cause.

The trial in federal court in Oakland was meant to set a precedent for about 1,200 similar lawsuits across the country.

Breathitt County, Kentucky, reached a settlement with Meta in the first US bellwether trial over social media platforms’ costs tied to youth mental health, resolving the district’s suit that accused platforms of designs that keep teens engaged and worsen anxiety, depression, and self-harm.

Earlier in the year, Meta and YouTube faced losses in California and New Mexico courts, including a March verdict awarding roughly $6 million for harms linked to platform use.

Breathitt’s judge denied summary judgment, allowing the case to proceed to a jury and indicating platforms could bear responsibility for some claims despite Section 230 and First Amendment protections.

Lawsuits argue features like infinite scroll and algorithmic recommendations foster compulsive use, contributing to anxiety and depression among youths.

The Breathitt case sits within a broader wave of oversight and regulation of social media regarding youth welfare, including actions in Australia and ongoing debates in Europe and the US.

Earlier rulings allowed claims like warnings about harms, altered-image labeling, and usage-limiting tools to proceed, while shielding other claims under Section 230 and the First Amendment; other judgments in different states found liability for platform addictiveness.

The court’s prior rulings balanced protections for user-generated content with ongoing claims of failure to warn and insufficiencies in tools to curb use.

Plaintiffs’ attorneys say they will press on for justice for the remaining roughly 1,200 school districts involved in similar lawsuits.