Meta Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Zuckerberg appeared as a witness in a U.S. trial over the harmful effects of social networking service (SNS) addiction among teenagers.
On the 18th (local time), CEO Zuckerberg appeared at the California Superior Court in Los Angeles and took the stand. The trial stems from a lawsuit filed by a 20-year-old woman, Kaylie G.M., and is drawing attention as a "bellwether trial" that could determine the course of thousands of similar cases.
The key issue is whether platforms such as Meta and Google intentionally designed their algorithms to keep teenagers on their platforms for long periods. The plaintiff argues that SNS addiction led to anxiety, depression, and physical problems.
The plaintiffs questioned the effectiveness of the "parental controls" that Meta touted as a safeguard for teenagers. It was reported that a report from "Project MYST," conducted by Meta and researchers at the University of Chicago, concluded that parental and home-environment factors are scarcely related to the level of teenagers' preoccupation with SNS use.
On that basis, the plaintiffs argued that responsibility for the addiction problem lies with corporations, not parents. By contrast, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri said he did not specifically recall the report.
Meta countered that teenagers' negative emotions often stem more from home environments or personal experiences than from SNS itself. YouTube said it is an entertainment platform, not an SNS. Snapchat and TikTok settled with the plaintiff before trial.