• News Social Media Zuckerberg’s Trial Testimony Pushes Back on Social Media Addiction Claims Mark Zuckerberg defended Meta’s social media platforms and addressed his public persona in a Los Angeles courtroom. • Mark Zuckerberg testified in a Los Angeles courtroom this week in a trial over social media addiction. • The founder and CEO of Meta, Mark Zuckerberg, defended the social media platforms his company owns intestimony before a Los Angeles County court jurythis week. • Zuckerberg said that Instagram, the platform targeted in a trial over social media addiction, is not inherently addictive, but that it offers a service that is valuable, so “people will want to use it more.” The case, filed by a Californian in 2023 who alleges she became addicted to Instagram from an early age and suffered harmful effects, is one of several high-profile suits that could shake up the social media landscape for companies including YouTube, TikTok and Snap, among others. • In his testimony, Zuckerberg was asked not only whether his company is aware of theeffect its social networks have on children, but also about whether its age restrictions are adequate. • Zuckerberg revealed that as early as 2018, hereached out to Apple CEO Tim Cookseeking to discuss “the well-being of kids and teens” using their companies’ technology.
Article Summaries:
- Mark Zuckerberg testified in a Los Angeles County court this week, defending Meta’s Instagram against a 2023 lawsuit that claims the platform caused a Californian woman to develop an addiction. Zuckerberg argued that Instagram is not inherently addictive but offers a valuable service that naturally attracts users. He noted Meta’s efforts to protect minors, citing 2018 outreach to Apple and the 2024 launch of teen‑only accounts with DM protections and PG‑13‑style content limits. The trial also examined whether Meta’s design intentionally encourages compulsive use, a question highlighted by Cornell’s Social Media Lab. A ruling could set precedent for similar suits against other tech firms.
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