Mark Zuckerberg took the stand Wednesday in a high-profile jury trial for social media addiction. In an appearance that was described by NBC News As a “combative,” the Facebook founder reportedly said that Meta’s goal was to make Instagram “useful,” not to increase the time users spend on the app.
On the stand, Zuckerberg was asked about a company document that said improving engagement was among “company goals,” according to CNBC. But Zuckerberg said the company had “made a conscious decision to move away from those goals and instead focus on profit,” according to The Associated Press. “If something is valuable, people will use it more because they find it useful,” he said.
The suit arises from a lawsuit filed by a California woman identified as “KGM” in court documents. The now 20-year-old alleges that as a child she was harmed by addictive features on Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and TikTok. TikTok and Snap opted to settle before the case went to trial.
Zuckerberg was also asked about previous public statements, including his comments on Joe Rogan’s podcast last year that can’t be fired by Meta’s board of directors because it controls the majority of voting power. According The New York Times, Zuckerberg accused the plaintiffs’ lawyer of “mischaracterizing” his past comments more than a dozen times.
Zuckerberg’s court appearance also apparently prompted the judge to warn people in the courtroom not to record the proceedings using AI glasses. As CNBC notes, members of Zuckerberg’s entourage were seen wearing Meta’s smart glasses as the CEO was escorted to the courthouse. It’s unclear whether anyone actually wore the glasses in court, but legal affairs reporter Meghan Cuniff reported that the judge was particularly concerned about the possibility of jurors being recorded or subjected to facial recognition. (Meta’s smart glasses currently don’t have native facial recognition capabilities, but recent reports suggest the company is considering adding such features.)
The Los Angeles trial has been closely watched not only because it marked a rare court appearance for Zuckerberg. It is one of the first of several cases in which Meta will face accusations that its platforms have harmed children. In this case and in a separate proceeding in New Mexico, Meta’s attorneys have cast doubt on the idea that social media should be considered a real addiction. Instagram boss Adam Mosseri previously testified at the same Los Angeles trial that Instagram is not “clinically addictive.”
