Mark Zuckerberg to Take the Stand in Landmark Social Media Court Case

In a landmark legal case set in Los Angeles, Mark Zuckerberg is poised to take the stand in a trial scrutinizing whether Meta’s social media platforms intentionally harm and addict young users.

The CEO of Meta will face intense questioning on Wednesday from lawyers representing a 20-year-old plaintiff, referred to as KGM, who alleges that her early engagement with social media led to addiction, worsening her depression and suicidal ideations. This case now focuses on Meta Platforms and YouTube, following settlements by TikTok and Snap.

Zuckerberg’s history includes testifying in congressional hearings about youth safety on Meta’s platforms, where he expressed remorse to families affected by tragedies linked to social media. However, this trial marks his first appearance before a jury on this issue. Families who have experienced loss are anticipated to attend in the few public seats available in the courtroom.

As one of three pivotal bellwether trials, the verdict here could significantly influence the resolution of thousands of similar lawsuits targeting social media companies.

A representative for Meta has stated the company firmly denies the claims made in the lawsuit, expressing confidence that evidence will demonstrate their enduring dedication to supporting young audiences.

One of Meta’s attorneys, Paul Schmidt, said in his opening statement that the company is not disputing that KGM experienced mental health struggles, but rather that Instagram played a substantial factor in those struggles. He pointed to medical records that showed a turbulent home life, and both he and an attorney representing YouTube argue she turned to their platforms as a coping mechanism or a means of escaping her mental health struggles.

Zuckerberg’s testimony comes a week after that of Adam Mosseri, the head of Meta’s Instagram, who said in the courtroom that he disagrees with the idea that people can be clinically addicted to social media platforms. Mosseri maintained that Instagram works hard to protect young people using the service, and said it’s “not good for the company, over the long run, to make decisions that profit for us but are poor for people’s well-being.”

Much of Mosseri’s questioning from the plaintiff’s lawyer, Mark Lanier, centered on cosmetic filters on Instagram that changed people’s appearance – a topic that Lanier is sure to revisit with Zuckerberg. He is also expected to face questions about Instagram’s algorithm, the infinite nature of Meta’ feeds and other features the plaintiffs argue are designed to get users hooked.

Meta is also facing a separate trial in New Mexico that began last week.