The CEO of Meta, the company that controls Facebook, Whatsapp and Instagram, Mark Zuckerberg, gave testimony this Wednesday (18), in Los Angeles, as part of the trial that discusses whether digital platforms were deliberately designed to generate addiction and harm the mental health of minors. During his testimony, the executive denied that his company had developed its networks with the aim of maximizing usage time among young people.
According to the agency ReutersZuckerberg was asked at the hearing about testimony given to the US Congress in 2024, when he stated that Meta was not intended to increase the time people spend using the company’s applications. At trial, lawyers for the young woman suing the company presented emails from 2014 and 2015 in which the executive mentioned his intention to increase engagement by double-digit percentages. Given this, Zuckerberg acknowledged that, in the past, his company set goals to increase usage time, but stated that this is no longer Meta’s current strategy.
“If you are trying to say that my testimony was not accurate, I strongly disagree with that,” the Meta CEO said of his testimony to Congress in 2024. At the hearing, he maintained that Meta no longer designs its products with a focus on maximizing users’ screen time, which, according to the plaintiff, is creating addiction in minors.
The trial, taking place in Los Angeles County Superior Court, involves the case of a 20-year-old woman – identified as KGM – who alleges that her use of Instagram and YouTube during her teenage years worsened depression and suicidal thoughts. The plaintiff in the case maintains that the companies adopted design decisions with the purpose of making the platforms more addictive for children and adolescents.
Meta and Google – YouTube’s controller – deny the accusations. According to ReutersMeta’s defense argues that the company implemented security tools to protect young users and cites studies that do not establish a direct relationship between social networks and damage to mental health.
This Wednesday’s hearing marks the first time that Zuckerberg has testified in front of a jury in a case of this type. The case could serve as a precedent for thousands of similar lawsuits filed by families, school districts and US states against technology companies.
