Zuckerberg is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday, US time, in a lawsuit filed by a 20-year-old woman known as ”KGM.”
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Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is set to testify in a case that raises questions about whether social media platforms are intentionally keeping children glued to screens.
Zuckerberg is set to appear in court on Wednesday, US time, in a lawsuit filed by a 20-year-old woman known as ‘KGM’.
The woman claims that using social media led to her addiction to technology as a child, leading to extreme depression and suicidal thoughts. Meta Platforms and Google’s YouTube are currently defendants in the case. TikTok and Snapchat have settled.
Zuckerberg has previously testified in court on various issues. He also responded to a US congressional hearing on the health safety of teenagers on Meta’s platform. During those hearings, he apologized to families who complained that social media had caused a loss in their lives. This is his first time standing before a jury in this case. The parents of the victims are also expected to be present in court.
This case has been selected as a representative case among a large number of similar cases filed as a 'bellwether trial'. The decision in this case will set a precedent for more than 2,600 similar cases filed against social media companies. It is expected to change the 'design architecture' or structure of social media. In the ongoing hearing in the County Superior Court in Los Angeles, USA, the heads of Facebook and YouTube are giving statements to the judge and jury (a group of ordinary citizens).
According to US media, a representative for Meta has said that the allegations made in this case are not substantiated and that the company completely disagrees with them. Although there is no doubt that KGM suffered from mental health problems, Meta's lawyer Paul Stimt claims that Instagram did not play a significant role in causing those problems. He has argued that KGM's family life was already turbulent, presenting medical records as evidence. Lawyers for both Meta and YouTube have argued that the young woman used the social media platform to escape or cope with her mental struggles.
Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri, who recently testified before a jury, said he disagreed with the notion that people can become “clinically addicted” to social media. He said he has worked hard to protect young people using Instagram and that it is not in their best interest to make bad decisions for the well-being of people, even if it benefits the company in the future.
Plaintiffs’ attorney Mark Lanier questioned Mosseri about Instagram’s beauty filters that alter a person’s appearance. Lanier is expected to raise the same issue with Zuckerberg. He is also expected to ask questions about Instagram’s algorithm, the endless scrolling nature of Meta’s feeds and other features that are said to be designed to keep users engaged. Meanwhile, a separate trial against Meta in New Mexico began last week.
