The Heat is On...Big Tech on Trial

Two teenage girls. Two of the biggest tech companies in the world. And a courtroom battle that every parent should be paying attention to.

In this pre-trial special, Nicki Petrossi and Sarah Gardner break down everything you need to know before Shawna and Kadence take on Meta and Snap, Inc. in the latest landmark social media addiction trial. With more than 3,000 related cases consolidated in litigation, this case puts the design of social media platforms—and the harm to young users—under the microscope.

We explain who Shawna and Kadence are, what their lawsuit alleges, why this trial is different from the previous case against Meta and YouTube, and why Snapchat’s presence in the courtroom is so significant. We also break down the platform features at the center of the case, including infinite scroll, autoplay, notifications, and Snapstreaks, and explain why the focus is on product design rather than the content users see.

Plus, we preview the high-profile witnesses expected to testify, including Mark Zuckerberg, Instagram head Adam Mosseri, and Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel. What might the companies’ internal documents reveal about what they knew, when they knew it, and the decisions they made about keeping young users engaged?

The trial is about two individual plaintiffs, but the questions it raises matter to families everywhere. Join us as we go inside the courtroom, follow the evidence, and examine what this legal battle could mean for the future of social media and child safety.

The trial begins October 28. The Heat Is On...Big Tech on Trial. Let's go to trial.