Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta Platforms, testified in court on Wednesday, defending his company against claims that it targeted young users and contributed to social media addiction.
The trial, which also involves Google’s YouTube, is being closely watched for its implications on thousands of similar lawsuits.
Zuckerberg maintained that Meta has taken action to protect young users and bars people under the age of 13 from using its platforms.
However, internal documents presented in court showed that Meta employees discussed the usage of Instagram and Facebook by teenagers and younger users, with one email from 2019 taking issue with the company’s ‘unenforced’ age limitations.
A 2019 research report found that teens using Instagram felt ‘hooked despite how it makes them feel’, with Zuckerberg noting that the research was not conducted inside Meta.
The trial is expected to last several weeks, with testimony from former Meta employees and other witnesses.
Bereaved parents, including Lori Schott, whose daughter Annalee killed herself at the age of 18, were in attendance, calling for changes to be made to social media algorithms to prevent harm to children.
