Zuckerberg to Testify in Landmark Social Media Trial
Mark Zuckerberg is set to testify in a landmark social media trial that examines whether Meta’s platforms intentionally foster addiction and inflict harm on children. On Wednesday, the CEO of Meta is anticipated to face challenging inquiries from lawyers representing a 20-year-old woman referred to by the initials KGM. She alleges that her early engagement with social media led to an addiction to the technology and intensified her experiences of depression and suicidal ideation. Meta Platforms and Google’s YouTube stand as the last two defendants in the ongoing case, following settlements reached by TikTok and Snap. Zuckerberg has previously testified in other trials and responded to inquiries from Congress regarding youth safety on Meta’s platforms. He expressed remorse to families during that hearing whose lives had been disrupted by tragedies they attributed to social media.
This trial represents the inaugural occasion on which Zuckerberg will respond to comparable inquiries before a jury, and once more, grieving parents are anticipated to occupy the restricted public seating in the courtroom. The case, in conjunction with two others, has been designated as a bellwether trial, indicating that its outcome may significantly influence the trajectory of numerous analogous lawsuits against social media companies. A spokesperson for Meta stated that the company firmly contests the allegations presented in the lawsuit, asserting that they are “confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people.”
In his opening statement, Paul Schmidt, an attorney for Meta, acknowledged that KGM faced mental health challenges; however, he contended that Instagram was not a significant contributor to those difficulties. He referenced medical records indicating a tumultuous home environment, and both he and an attorney representing YouTube contend that she utilized their platforms as a coping strategy or an avenue for evading her mental health challenges. Zuckerberg’s testimony follows closely on the heels of Adam Mosseri’s, the head of Meta’s Instagram, who articulated in court his dissent regarding the notion that individuals can develop clinical addictions to social media platforms. Mosseri asserted that Instagram is committed to safeguarding the interests of young users on the platform, emphasizing that it is “not good for the company, over the long run, to make decisions that profit for us but are poor for people’s well-being.”
The inquiry directed at Mosseri by the plaintiff’s attorney, Mark Lanier, predominantly focused on the cosmetic filters available on Instagram that alter users’ appearances—a subject that Lanier is likely to bring up again with Zuckerberg. He is also anticipated to encounter inquiries regarding Instagram’s algorithm, the boundless characteristics of Meta’s feeds, and additional functionalities that the plaintiffs contend are crafted to captivate users. Meta is currently contending with a distinct trial in New Mexico that commenced last week.
