Mark Zuckerberg will testify before a jury in Los Angeles in a major youth safety case. The trial examines whether Meta’s platforms harmed young users. A 20-year-old woman, identified as KGM, claims early social media use fueled addiction, depression, and suicidal thoughts.
Meta Platforms and YouTube remain the only defendants. TikTok and Snap settled earlier. Lawyers for KGM argue that Instagram’s design keeps users hooked. They point to endless feeds, recommendation algorithms, and beauty filters. They say these features worsened her mental health during her teenage years.
Meta strongly denies the claims. The company says it invests in tools that protect young people. Its attorneys argue that KGM faced serious challenges at home. They say she used social media to cope with existing struggles.
Instagram head Adam Mosseri testified last week. He rejected the idea that social media causes clinical addiction. He said Meta does not profit from harming users. Plaintiff attorney Mark Lanier plans to question Zuckerberg about product design and user engagement systems.
This case is a bellwether trial. Its outcome could influence thousands of similar lawsuits across the country. Meta also faces a separate trial in New Mexico.
