(Bloomberg/Madlin Mekelburg) — Jurors will be allowed to hear expert testimony about the impact of social media on young users during coming trials against tech companies over alleged harm caused by their platforms, a Los Angeles judge ruled.
Meta Platforms Inc., Snap Inc. Google LLC and TikTok Inc. had sought to have the testimony excluded from the lawsuits they face from hundreds of individuals, school districts and state attorneys general. The companies argued that the experts weren’t reliable.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs said testimony from the doctors and researchers identified as experts would provide critical context for jurors.
In an 87-page ruling Monday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl said testimony for all but one of the 11 proposed witnesses could be present