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Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg will testify Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court in a landmark trial over claims that social media platforms harm children — his first time answering youth safety allegations before a jury.
The bellwether lawsuit, K.G.M. v. Meta Platforms, Inc., et al., was filed by a 20-year-old California woman identified by her initials. She alleges that Meta and other social media companies engineered their platforms to hook young users, fueling her depression and suicidal thoughts, and is seeking to hold the companies accountable.
Meta’s Instagram and Google’s YouTube deny the allegations, citing years of expanded safety features and parental controls as part of their defense. The tech titans are expected to point to other factors in K.G.M.’s life, highlight their investments in youth safety and argue they should not be held responsible for harmful content uploaded by users.
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A verdict for the plaintiff, K.G.M., could set a precedent for holding tech companies responsible for harmful design decisions, despite years of successfully invoking Section 230’s content liability shield. Section 230 is a federal law that largely shields online platforms from lawsuits related to user-posted content.
A rejection of that defense could pave the way for similar lawsuits across the country, exposing Meta and other tech companies to billions in damages and pressuring them to redesign their platforms.
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Beyond this case, Meta and Google face more than 2,300 related lawsuits filed by parents, school districts and state attorneys general in federal court.
The wave of lawsuits reflects a growing backlash against social media companies over concerns about their impact on children’s mental health and safety. Lawmakers, parents and regulators have increasingly accused platforms of prioritizing growth and engagement over protecting young users.
In New Mexico, opening statements began Monday in a separate case brought by the state’s attorney general accusing Meta of exposing minors to sexual exploitation and profiting from it — allegations the company denies.
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The scrutiny isn’t limited to the United States.
Countries including Australia and Spain have moved to restrict social media access for users under 16, citing concerns about addiction, online harms and mental health. Other governments are weighing similar age-based limits as pressure mounts worldwide.
