Zuckerberg Takes the Stand in Landmark Social Media Harm Trial

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg arrived at Los Angeles County Superior Court Wednesday morning to testify in a landmark trial over social media's impact on children—the first case from a consolidated group of more than 1,600 lawsuits to go before a jury.

The plaintiffs accuse the owners of Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Snap of knowingly designing addictive products that harm young users' mental health. Zuckerberg's appearance marks a rare moment of accountability for tech executives, as the Facebook founder directly faces claims about his company's practices in front of a jury.

The testimony comes one week after Adam Mosseri, head of Meta's Instagram, defended the platform in the same courtroom. Mosseri argued that social media platforms are not intentionally engineered to be addictive, though the families bringing the lawsuits maintain the companies designed features specifically to keep children glued to their screens.

The trial represents a significant test for the tech industry, which has faced mounting pressure over its impact on young people. Unlike previous regulatory battles or congressional hearings, this case puts the allegations directly in front of a jury that will decide whether the companies knowingly harmed children for profit.