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Mark Zuckerberg arrives at LA court to testify in closely-watched trial on social media addiction
Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, has arrived at a Los Angeles courthouse to testify in a civil trial on social media addiction, a closely-watched case that could have major implications for the tech industry.
The 41-year-old billionaire is slated to be grilled by attorneys, who argue that social media platforms are deliberately engineered as “digital casinos” to lure young users into constant engagement.
Zuckerberg’s testimony before the jury at the Los Angeles County Superior Court will not be live streamed, but reporters in the room are expected to provide updates.
At the center of the case is a 20-year-old California woman, identified in court papers only as KGM, who filed a lawsuit against Meta, TikTok, Google, and Snap in 2022. She accused the companies of following Big Tobacco’s playbook: instilling addictive behaviors in teens while dismissing their own research showing their products posed health risks.
KGM said that, at six years old, she began obsessively using YouTube, and three years later, she started scrolling on Instagram. She claimed these platforms exacerbated her suicidal thoughts and depression.
Before the trial began, TikTok and Snap settled with the plaintiff, narrowing the case to two defendants: Meta and Google.
“These companies built machines designed to addict the brains of children,” KGM’s attorney Mark Lanier said at the beginning of the trial earlier this month. “And they did it on purpose.”
Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, has pushed back against the allegations.
“The question for the jury in Los Angeles is whether Instagram was a substantial factor in the plaintiff’s mental health struggles. The evidence will show she faced many significant, difficult challenges well before she ever used social media,” a Meta spokesperson told The Independent.
Paul Schmidt, Meta’s lawyer, said in his opening statement that medical records indicate the plaintiff had a tumultuous home life and that she sought out social media platforms to cope with her pre-existing struggles.
Google has also denied the allegations brought by KGM.
More than 1,500 similar lawsuits have been filed against social media companies, but KGM’s is the first to go to trial, according to CNN. It’s been chosen as a bellwether trial, meaning its verdict could shape the outcome of numerous suits like it.
A legal victory for KGM could set a landmark precedent, making tech companies liable for designing addictive and harmful products.
In recent years, a number of studies have found links between young peoples’ frequent use of social media and negative mental health outcomes, such as anxiety and depression.
Meta, headquartered in Menlo Park, California, is also on trial in a separate case in New Mexico, in which plaintiffs accuse the company of exposing minors to sexual material and fostering a “breeding ground” for sexual predators. The company has denied the charges and has accused prosecutors of adopting “sensationalist” tactics.
This is the first time that Mark Zuckerberg, who is worth an estimated $220 billion, has appeared at a civil trial at a courthouse. However he has appeared before Congress to testify on what impact his platforms – which are used by billions of people worldwide – have on youth mental health.
In January 2024, Zuckerberg attended a Capitol Hill hearing on social media’s harms, where lawmakers blasted him and other tech CEOs for failing to adequately address issues including addiction, mental health crises, bullying and sexual predators.
During the televised hearing, children and parents provided testimony describing how young people were exploited on social media platforms. Demonstrators silently stood behind Zuckerberg, holding up pictures of their deceased children
At one point, Republican Senator Josh Hawley asked Zuckerberg if he would like to apologize to the families of victims seated in the room.
“I’m sorry for everything you have all been through,” the Meta CEO said, while turning to face them. “No one should go through the things that your families have suffered.” He noted that the company has invested in “industrywide efforts” to safeguard children.
In recent years, Meta has implemented several child safety measures, including age restrictions and parental controls.