In a pivotal civil trial scrutinising the effects of social media on teenagers and children, jurors viewed a deposition from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The bellwether case, unfolding in New Mexico, probes what Facebook and Instagram's creators knew from internal research regarding negative experiences among young users and how the company responded over time.
Prosecution Allegations and Meta's Defence
Prosecutors allege that Meta violated state consumer protection laws by failing to disclose its knowledge about the dangers of social media addiction and child sexual exploitation on its platforms. In contrast, Meta's attorneys argue the company discloses risks, actively works to remove harmful content, and acknowledges that some problematic material may still bypass its safety measures.
Internal Communications and User Feedback
During pretrial depositions recorded last year, prosecutors presented Zuckerberg with internal company communications and user emails dating back to Facebook's early days in 2008. These documents discussed "problematic" and addictive use of social media. State attorney Previn Warren questioned Zuckerberg, stating, "Over the past 15 years, users of your products have repeatedly told your company and you personally that they find the products to be addictive, that's true, isn't it?"
Zuckerberg contested the term "addictive," remarking, "I think people sometimes use that word colloquially. That's not what we're trying to do with the products, and it's not how I think they work." He emphasised his commitment to understanding user feedback to improve products for people's benefit.
Business Goals and Teen Engagement
Zuckerberg admitted that he initially set objectives for employees to increase the time teenagers spent on Meta's platforms to boost business revenue and user numbers. "Yes, I think we focused on time spent as one of the major engagement goals," he said. However, he noted that since around 2017, the company has shifted focus to other metrics for most of the past decade.
Content Moderation and Self-Expression
The deposition also explored Zuckerberg's decision to lift a temporary Instagram ban on cosmetic filters that altered appearances in ways seemingly promoting plastic surgery. Zuckerberg defended this move, stating, "I care a lot about not cracking down on the ways that people can express themselves and there's, like, always been a lot of pressure to do that and censor our services. I didn't find any of the anecdotal examples that people used to be convincing that it was actually clear evidence that this was going to be harmful."
Trial Context and Broader Implications
The deposition was shown during the fourth week of the civil trial against Meta, which also oversees WhatsApp. Earlier in the week, the New Mexico jury watched a video where prosecutors questioned Instagram head Adam Mosseri about Meta's safety approaches, corporate profits, and features potentially contributing to unwanted adult communications with young users.
This New Mexico case, along with a separate trial in Los Angeles, could establish precedents for thousands of similar lawsuits against social media companies. Zuckerberg testified last month in Los Angeles regarding young people's Instagram use and has previously addressed Congress on youth safety. During his 2024 congressional testimony, he apologised to families affected by tragedies linked to social media but stopped short of accepting direct responsibility.
The trial continues to examine the balance between corporate growth, user safety, and regulatory compliance in the digital age.
