Judge in social media addiction trial removes lead plaintiffs attorney following interview
The media frenzy around the first social media addiction trial in Los Angeles resulted in the judge removing one of the lead attorneys from the plaintiffs’ steering committee for granting an on-camera interview with the BBC and taking selfies inside the courthouse.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Carolyn Kuhl held a special meeting Friday for Matthew Bergman, founding partner of the Social Media Victims Law Center in Seattle. The trial, a consolidated proceeding against Meta Platforms Inc. and YouTube, attempts to show the correlation between teen mental health issues and social media, and the plaintiff alleging she developed depression and body dysmorphia after becoming addicted to YouTube and Instagram.
Bergman, who admits to doing a Zoom interview from inside the courthouse, explained to reporters that “Wednesday was a very intense day,” referring to the appearance and testimony of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg in court, according to coverage on Law.com. “Clearly, in a case about tech accountability, the fact that I was not accountable on tech issues in this court is resonant, is humbling, and I am deeply sorry.” Judge Kuhl scheduled a contempt hearing for March 23.
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