Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg Testifies in Landmark Social Media Trial
In a pivotal consumer protection trial examining the impacts of social media on young users, jurors on Wednesday viewed a deposition of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. This bellwether case delves into what the architects of Facebook and Instagram knew from internal research about negative experiences faced by teenagers and children, and how the company has responded since its early years.
Prosecutors Allege Meta Violated Consumer Protection Laws
Prosecutors are alleging that Meta violated state consumer protection laws by failing to disclose its knowledge of social media addiction dangers and child sexual exploitation risks 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 safety measures.
During pretrial depositions recorded last year, prosecutors confronted Zuckerberg with internal company communications and user emails dating back to Facebook's infancy in 2008. These documents discuss "problematic" and addictive use of social media. Previn Warren, an attorney for the state of New Mexico, questioned Zuckerberg directly, 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's Response to Addiction Claims
Zuckerberg took issue with the term "addictive," responding, "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 emphasized his goal to understand user experiences to improve products, saying, "I want to make sure that we can understand so we can improve the products and make them better for people in ways that they want."
However, Zuckerberg conceded that he initially set goals for employees to increase the time teenagers spent on Meta's platforms to expand business revenue and user numbers. "Yes, I think we focused on time spent as one of the major engagement goals," he admitted. "Sometime during 2017 and beyond — for at this point most of the last 10 years — we've focused on other metrics."
Decision on Cosmetic Filters and Censorship
The deposition also explored Zuckerberg's decision to lift a temporary Instagram ban on cosmetic filters that altered appearances in ways 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."
Broader Context of the Trial
The deposition was recorded last year and shown during the fourth week of the civil trial against Meta, which also oversees WhatsApp. On Tuesday, the New Mexico jury watched a video where prosecutors questioned Instagram head Adam Mosseri about Meta's safety approaches, corporate profits, social media features, and policies for young users that might lead to unwanted adult communications.
This New Mexico case, along with a separate trial in Los Angeles, could set precedents for thousands of similar lawsuits against social media companies. Zuckerberg testified last month in Los Angeles about young people's use of Instagram and has previously answered congressional questions on youth safety. During his 2024 congressional testimony, he apologized to families affected by tragedies they linked to social media, saying, "I’m sorry for everything you have all been through," but stopped short of taking direct responsibility.
