Zuckerberg to testify in landmark trial over social media’s harm to youth
Mark Zuckerberg has been ordered to give evidence in a landmark trial examining how social media harms young people, an escalation in legal scrutiny over platform safety and corporate accountability.
A US court has mandated that Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, must appear and testify in a high-stakes trial about social media’s effects on children and adolescents. The case, brought by parents and school districts, alleges that platforms contributed to mental health harms by deploying addictive algorithms and weak moderation in their efforts to retain user engagement.
The plaintiffs argue that platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat failed to protect young users, particularly through weak parental controls and design choices that encourage harmful usage patterns. They contend that the executives and companies neglected risks in favour of growth and profits.
Meta had argued that such platforms are shielded from liability under US federal law (Section 230) and that high-level executives should not be dragged into testimony. But the judge rejected those defenses, saying that hearing directly from executives is integral to assessing accountability and proving claims of negligence.
Legal experts say the decision marks an inflection point: social media’s architecture and leadership may now be put under the microscope in ways previously reserved for sectors like tobacco and pharmaceuticals. The trial could set a precedent for how tech chief executives are held personally responsible for harms tied to platform design.
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