Los Angeles, United States. Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg is set to be questioned for the first time in a U.S. court on Wednesday about Instagram’s effect on the mental health of young users, as a trial over youth social media addiction continues. The case is being heard by a jury in Los Angeles, California.
Trial stakes and broader legal implications
While Zuckerberg has previously testified on the subject before Congress, the case carries higher stakes for Meta because the company may have to pay damages if it loses. The verdict could also weaken Big Tech’s longstanding legal defense against claims of user harm.
Global backlash and policy responses
The lawsuit is part of a broader backlash against social media platforms over children’s mental health. Australia and Spain have prohibited access to social media platforms for users under age 16, and other countries are considering similar curbs. In the United States, Florida has prohibited companies from allowing users under age 14, and tech industry trade groups are challenging the law in court.
Allegations involving Instagram and YouTube
The case involves a California woman who started using Meta’s Instagram and Google’s YouTube as a child. She alleges the companies sought to profit by hooking kids on their services despite knowing social media could harm their mental health. She alleges the apps fueled her depression and suicidal thoughts and is seeking to hold the companies liable.
Company responses and cited research
Meta and Google have denied the allegations and pointed to their work to add features that keep users safe. Meta has often pointed to a National Academies of Sciences finding that research does not show social media changes kids’ mental health.
Test case for wider litigation
The lawsuit is a test case for similar claims in a larger group of cases against Meta, Alphabet’s Google, Snap and TikTok. Families, school districts and states have filed thousands of lawsuits in the United States accusing the companies of fueling a youth mental health crisis.
Expected testimony and internal studies
Zuckerberg is expected to be questioned on Meta’s internal studies and discussions of how Instagram use affects younger users. Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, testified last week that he was unaware of a recent Meta study showing no link between parental supervision and teens’ attentiveness over their own social media use. According to a document shown at trial, teens with difficult life circumstances more often said they used Instagram habitually or unintentionally.
Meta’s argument on causation
Meta’s lawyer told jurors that the woman’s health records show her issues stem from a troubled childhood, and that social media was a creative outlet for her.
What do you think this trial could mean for future lawsuits alleging harm from social media use?