In a high-stakes trial unfolding in Los Angeles Superior Court, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta Platforms, has taken the stand in a lawsuit that could reshape how social media giants are held accountable for youth safety and online harm. The case centers on allegations that Meta’s platforms, including Instagram, were designed in ways that deliberately promote addictive use among children and teens, contributing to serious mental health issues such as anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation. The trial, which also includes Google’s YouTube as a co-defendant, is widely regarded as one of the most consequential legal tests confronting Big Tech in recent years. A verdict here could influence thousands of similar lawsuits nationwide.
The civil suit was filed by a plaintiff identified as “KGM,” now 20, who alleges that using platforms like Instagram from a young age fostered compulsive behaviour and exacerbated her mental health struggles. Her lawyers argue that Meta’s engagement-driven features, such as algorithmic recommendation systems and infinite scrolling, are engineered to keep young users engaged in ways that mirror addictive design practices used in other industries. Meta, for its part, vigorously denies these claims and maintains that the company has no intention to addict children or to profit from youth vulnerability. In court testimony, Zuckerberg emphasised that Meta does not allow children under 13 on Instagram, though he acknowledged it is “very difficult” to verify ages and enforce this rule perfectly.
