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Zuckerberg Testifies in L.A. Trial Probing Whether Instagram and YouTube Drove Addictive Use by Children

His appearance becomes the latest turn in a jury trial testing whether platform design choices, not specific content, caused youth harms.

Overview

  • Mark Zuckerberg told jurors Meta no longer chases time-spent metrics, acknowledging Instagram moved too slowly to restrict under‑13 accounts and previously set screen‑time objectives.
  • Plaintiff Kaley G.M., now 20, testified she began using YouTube at about 6, created accounts under age, spent up to 16 hours a day, and later suffered anxiety, depression, self‑harm, and body dysmorphic disorder.
  • Plaintiff’s counsel presented internal records, including a 2013 YouTube goal of one billion hours watched daily—surpassed in 2024—and company research referencing harms from excessive viewing.
  • YouTube executive Cristos Goodrow said the platform is not designed to maximize viewing time or create addiction, characterizing endless scrolling as a failure and defending recommendations as user‑value focused.
  • Jurors are instructed to assess product design and corporate strategy rather than platform content, with the case seen as a bellwether as TikTok and Snapchat have already settled and related suits proceed nationwide.