Former prosecutor Andrew Cherkasky discusses Mark Zuckerberg’s landmark social media addiction trial with ‘Varney & Co.’
CEO of Meta Mark Zuckerberg made the decision Wednesday in a landmark lawsuit over allegations that his platform harms children, a lawsuit that could cost the company billions and redefine social media accountability.
The unprecedented trial, which took place in Los Angeles Superior Court, is widely seen as a landmark trial of its kind across the country. Cameras have been blocked in court, and Judge Carolyn Kuhl has warned that anyone using AI-powered smart glasses during the tech titan’s testimony will be held in contempt.
The case, KGM v. Meta Platforms, Inc., et al., was filed by a 20-year-old California woman identified only by her first names. He alleges that Meta and other technology companies deliberately created their platforms to connect with young users, contributing to his depression and suicidal thoughts, and wants to hold them accountable.
META’S CEO WILL TESTIFY IN A BILLION TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, arrives in court in Los Angeles to testify in a landmark trial about social media addiction. (Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
During cross-examination, the plaintiff’s attorney, Mark Lanier, confronted Zuckerberg with an internal PowerPoint presentation titled “Creating the Future,” directing jurors to a slide detailing efforts to identify younger generations willing to participate in the world around them.
Zuckerberg acknowledged that Lanier summarized the content accurately but testified that the slide showed outside research that he did not share with him.
Lanier then switched to Instagram’s enforcement efforts, asking if Meta had removed all of the 4 million users under the age of 13 that the company had identified on the platform in 2018. Zuckerberg responded that while the company did not remove all of them, it used tools to detect and deal with underage accounts and was working to improve those systems.
Mark Lanier is the attorney representing KGM who filed the lawsuit against Meta Platforms. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images / Getty Images)
The evidence is consistent with a broad corporate defense.
Meta Instagram again For Google YouTube has previously denied claims that they build addictive features into their products that harm young users, citing expanded safety tools and parental controls.
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Meta’s loss in this case could lead to millions in potential damages and restructuring of their platforms. (Image credit by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, the plaintiff’s decision can set a precedent to hold technology companies is responsible for risky design decisions, despite years of successfully invoking the liability protection of Section 230 – the federal law that largely protects online forums from lawsuits related to user-posted content.
A rejection of that defense could pave the way for similar lawsuits across the country, exposing Meta and other tech companies to billions in potential damages and forcing them to redesign their platforms.
Zuckerberg’s testimony came a week after Instagram chief Adam Mosseri rejected the idea that social media is addictive. He defended the platform’s efforts to protect new users, saying that it will hurt the business in the long run to put profits before people’s lives.
This is a growing issue; check back later for updates.
