Mark Zuckerberg is scheduled to testify Wednesday in a closely watched Los Angeles trial alleging that major social media platforms were deliberately engineered to be addictive for children and teenagers.
The case, underway in Los Angeles County Superior Court since last week, targets Meta, parent of Facebook and Instagram, as well as YouTube, owned by Google. Plaintiffs contend the companies knowingly incorporated design features intended to encourage compulsive use among young users, resulting in long-term mental health consequences.
The lawsuit was filed by a 20-year-old woman identified in court filings as “Kaley” and her mother. They allege she was exposed to addictive product features beginning in early childhood and became dependent on social media platforms as young as age six. According to the complaint, functions such as auto-scrolling and algorithm-driven content recommendations fostered prolonged engagement, contributing to anxiety, depression and body image issues.
During opening statements, plaintiffs’ attorney Mark Lanier told jurors the case was “as easy as ABC,” which he said stood for “addicting the brains of children.”
The trial marks the first of more than 1,500 similar lawsuits nationwide to be heard by a jury, potentially establishing a precedent for how courts assess tech companies’ responsibility for platform design and youth safety.
Zuckerberg has previously testified before Congress regarding online harms and child safety concerns. However, Wednesday’s appearance will be his first testimony before a jury in litigation directly alleging that his company’s products were intentionally designed to foster addiction in minors.
Legal analysts say a verdict favoring the plaintiff could test the scope of liability protections under Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act, a federal law that generally shields platforms from liability for user-generated content.
Several parents who say their children died by suicide or accidental harm linked to online activity are expected to attend the proceedings. Some were present during a 2024 Capitol Hill hearing in which Zuckerberg publicly apologized to families who blamed social media for contributing to their children’s deaths.
