Mark Zuckerberg is scheduled to appear Wednesday in a high-profile Los Angeles trial that alleges major social media platforms were intentionally designed to be addictive to children and teenagers, reports Baltimore Chronicle via ABC. The case, which began last Monday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, targets Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, and Google-owned YouTube. Plaintiffs claim that the companies knowingly created features that encouraged compulsive usage among young users, contributing to long-term mental health problems.
The lawsuit was filed by a 20-year-old woman, identified as “Kaley,” and her mother, asserting that she became hooked on social media as early as age six. Lawyers argue that features like auto-scrolling were deliberately designed to keep users engaged, eventually causing anxiety, depression, and body image challenges. In opening statements, plaintiffs’ attorney Mark Lanier described the case as “as easy as ABC,” with ABC standing for “addicting the brains of children.”
This trial is the first among over 1,500 similar lawsuits nationwide to go before a jury, potentially setting a precedent regarding tech companies’ liability for product design. Zuckerberg has previously testified before Congress regarding youth safety and online harms, but Wednesday will mark the first jury-level testimony on these claims. Several parents of children who died by suicide or accidental incidents linked to online trends are expected to attend the proceedings. Many of them previously witnessed Zuckerberg apologize during a 2024 Capitol Hill hearing, acknowledging families who said social media contributed to their children’s deaths.
The defendants, Meta and Google, deny the allegations. They argue that mental health outcomes are influenced by multiple factors beyond social media use and highlight their ongoing efforts to protect young users through parental controls and dedicated teen accounts. A Meta spokesperson told ABC News at the start of the trial, “We strongly disagree with these allegations and are confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people.” The company emphasized meaningful changes to its platforms, including introducing accounts specifically for teenage users.
Instagram head Adam Mosseri testified last week, disputing the characterization of Instagram usage as an “addiction,” though acknowledging what he described as “problematic use.” Mosseri noted the constant balance between “safety and speech,” emphasizing that users often resist limitations on platform features.
The Los Angeles case is part of a broader wave of litigation targeting social media companies. Meta faces a separate child safety lawsuit in New Mexico, and lawsuits initiated by school districts—modeled after tobacco litigation in the 1990s—are expected to go to trial later this year. Snapchat and TikTok were initially named in the lawsuit but reached settlements with plaintiffs last month.
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