Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta Platforms and founder of Facebook, is set to testify in a US court for the first time about the impact of Instagram on young users’ mental health. The jury trial, underway in Los Angeles, California, is being closely watched as a potential turning point in legal challenges against major social media companies.
While Zuckerberg has previously addressed lawmakers in Congress on related issues, this trial carries financial and legal consequences. If Meta loses, it could face significant damages — and potentially weaken long-standing legal protections shielding tech firms from liability over user harm.
The case at the center of the trial
The lawsuit was filed by a California woman who began using Instagram and YouTube, owned by Google, as a child. She alleges the companies deliberately designed their platforms to maximize engagement among young users despite knowing the potential mental health risks.
According to the complaint, the apps contributed to her depression and suicidal thoughts. She is seeking to hold the companies liable for damages.
Meta and Google have denied the allegations. The companies argue they have implemented multiple safety features and safeguards aimed at protecting younger users.
Legal and global backlash
The trial is part of a wider global reckoning over the effects of social media on children and teenagers.
Countries including Australia and Spain have enacted restrictions barring users under 16 from accessing social media platforms. In the United States, Florida has passed legislation prohibiting companies from allowing users under 14 to create accounts — though the law is being challenged in court by tech industry trade groups.
The current lawsuit is viewed as a test case among thousands of similar claims filed by families, school districts and states across the US against companies including Meta, Alphabet’s Google, Snap Inc., and TikTok.
Internal studies under scrutiny
Zuckerberg is expected to face questions about Meta’s internal research into Instagram’s effects on young users. Internal company discussions and studies could play a central role in determining whether Meta was aware of potential harms.
Last week, Instagram head Adam Mosseri testified that he was unaware of a recent Meta study suggesting no link between parental supervision and teens’ attentiveness over their own social media usage. Trial documents also indicated that teens facing difficult life circumstances reported more habitual or unintended use of Instagram.
Meta has frequently cited findings from the National Academies of Sciences, stating that research does not conclusively demonstrate that social media directly alters children’s mental health.
Defense pushes back
Meta’s legal team has argued that the plaintiff’s health records reflect longstanding challenges stemming from a troubled childhood. Company lawyers told jurors that social media served as a creative outlet rather than the root cause of her mental health struggles.
