New Mexico jurors watch Zuckerberg deposition in Meta child safety bellwether trial

Jurors in a landmark trial examining social media’s impact on children watched a deposition of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday, revealing internal research about negative experiences of young users on Facebook and Instagram.

The trial, taking place in Santa Fe, New Mexico, centers on allegations from the state’s attorney general that Meta violated consumer protection laws by failing to disclose known dangers of social media addiction and child sexual exploitation on its platforms. Meta’s defense team contends that the company adequately discloses risks and makes significant efforts to eliminate harmful content, while acknowledging some material evades their safeguards.

During the recorded deposition from last year, prosecutors confronted Zuckerberg with internal company communications and user emails dating back to 2008 that discussed “problematic” and addictive use of social media platforms.

When asked directly if users had repeatedly told the company that they found its products addictive, Zuckerberg pushed back against the characterization. “I think people sometimes use that word colloquially,” he said. “That’s not what we’re trying to do with the products, and it’s not how I think they work.”

However, Zuckerberg did acknowledge that Meta initially established goals for employees to increase the amount of time teenagers spent on its platforms as part of efforts to expand business revenue and user numbers. “Yes, I think we focused on time spent as one of the major engagement goals,” he admitted, though he claimed the company shifted to other metrics “sometime during 2017 and beyond.”

The deposition also explored Zuckerberg’s decision to lift a temporary Instagram ban on cosmetic filters that altered users’ appearances in ways that appeared to promote plastic surgery. Defending this decision, Zuckerberg stated, “I care a lot about not cracking down on the ways that people can express themselves,” adding that he found no convincing evidence that these filters were “actually going to be harmful.”

The video testimony was shown during the fourth week of the civil trial against Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Though Meta officially prohibits children under 13 from using its platforms, many younger users manage to create accounts anyway.

Just a day earlier, jurors watched another video deposition featuring Instagram head Adam Mosseri. Prosecutors questioned him extensively about Meta’s approach to safety protocols, corporate profits, platform features, and policies regarding young users that might inadvertently facilitate unwanted communications with adults.

The New Mexico case represents a pivotal moment in social media litigation. Along with a parallel trial against Meta in Los Angeles, the outcome could potentially set precedents for thousands of similar lawsuits against social media companies across the country. These cases reflect growing societal concerns about the psychological impacts of social media on younger generations and the responsibility of tech platforms to protect vulnerable users.

Zuckerberg has increasingly faced public scrutiny over these issues. Last month, he testified in Los Angeles specifically about young people’s Instagram usage. He has also appeared before Congress to address youth safety concerns on Meta’s platforms. During congressional testimony earlier this year, Zuckerberg apologized to families who believed their lives had been negatively impacted by social media, telling parents he was “sorry for everything you have all been through.” However, critics noted that he stopped short of accepting direct responsibility for these harms.

As the trial continues, it highlights the escalating tension between social media companies’ business models, which benefit from increased engagement and time spent on platforms, and growing concerns about digital addiction, mental health impacts, and online safety for young users.