In a Los Angeles courtroom packed with grieving parents and legal teams, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg took the stand this week for a defining moment in the tech industry’s history. Facing a jury for the first time regarding child safety, the billionaire founder defended his company against accusations that Instagram and Facebook are intentionally designed to addict young users. The testimony, delivered on Wednesday, marks a pivotal chapter in the sprawling legal battle that blames social media giants for a generation’s deteriorating mental health.
"I Have a Gold Chain On": A High-Stakes Showdown in L.A.
The atmosphere at the Los Angeles County Superior Court was charged long before Zuckerberg entered the witness box. Upon arrival, the Meta chief—dressed in a dark suit and gray tie—was stopped by security metal detectors. "I have a gold chain on," he told the guard, a moment of unscripted humanity before facing a barrage of pugnacious questioning from plaintiffs' attorneys. Inside, the gallery was filled with families holding photos of children lost to suicide, a silent but powerful rebuke of the platforms being defended.
Zuckerberg’s demeanor wavered between defensive and apologetic. When pressed by attorney Mark Lanier on his polished responses, the CEO offered a rare moment of self-deprecation: "I think I’m actually well-known to be sort of bad at this." However, the levity did little to diffuse the tension as lawyers drilled into Meta’s internal decision-making processes regarding youth safety protocols.
The Core Accusation: Profits Over Safety
The trial centers on the case of Kaley G.M. (referred to as KGM), a 20-year-old woman from Chico, California. She alleges that her compulsive use of Instagram and YouTube, starting at age nine, fueled a downward spiral of severe depression and suicidal ideation. Her attorneys argue that Meta engineered its algorithms to exploit the underdeveloped impulse control of minors, creating a "digital casino" effect that prioritized engagement metrics over user well-being.
"Wish We Could Have Gotten There Sooner"
Under oath, Zuckerberg faced grueling questions about age verification. He insisted that children under 13 have "never been allowed" on the platform, a statement that drew skepticism from the plaintiff's counsel. When confronted with evidence that underage users routinely bypass these checks, the CEO conceded that the systems were imperfect. "I always wish that we could have gotten there sooner," he admitted regarding Meta's recent improvements in identifying young users.
The plaintiff's legal team hammered this point, asking if it was reasonable to expect a nine-year-old to read and understand the terms of service. "That’s your basis for swearing under oath that children under 13 are not allowed?" an attorney challenged, highlighting the gap between corporate policy and the reality of millions of pre-teens scrolling through feeds daily.
Addictive Design Under the Microscope
This trial is unique because it sidesteps the traditional Section 230 federal protections that shield tech companies from liability for user-posted content. Instead, the lawsuit attacks the product design itself. The plaintiffs argue that features like infinite scroll, intermittent variable rewards (likes and notifications), and ephemeral Stories are defectively designed products comparable to tobacco or gambling machines.
While TikTok and Snap settled their portions of this specific case before trial, Meta and Google (parent company of YouTube) chose to fight the allegations in court. Their defense relies on the argument that mental health is complex and cannot be pinned on a single factor. "The evidence will show she faced many significant, difficult challenges well before she ever used social media," Meta spokeswoman Stephanie Otway stated earlier in the week.
A Bellwether for Big Tech
The outcome of this trial will serve as a bellwether for thousands of similar cases consolidated under MDL 3047. If the jury finds Meta liable for KGM’s mental health struggles, it could open the floodgates for billions of dollars in damages and force a fundamental redesign of how social media platforms operate.
During the proceedings, Judge Elihu Berle had to admonish the courtroom gallery, threatening to hold anyone recording with Meta's own Ray-Ban smart glasses in contempt—an ironic reminder of how deeply the company's technology has permeated daily life. As the trial continues through February 2026, the tech world holds its breath, waiting to see if this is the moment the industry is finally held accountable for the costs of connection.
