Instagram chief Adam Mosseri is expected to take the witness stand Tuesday in a major US trial examining whether Meta designed Instagram and Facebook to keep children and teenagers hooked while failing to adequately protect their safety.
Mosseri is a key witness in a lawsuit brought by 29 US states, in what legal experts describe as one of the biggest tests yet of the alleged impact of social media on young users, Reuters reported.
Four states — California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey — have accused Meta of deliberately designing its platforms to attract and retain young users, while contributing to problems including anxiety, depression and suicide. They also allege that the company misled consumers about the safety of its services.
All 29 states accuse Meta of violating federal law by improperly collecting and using the personal information of children under 13 who used its platforms.
The states have indicated that they could seek nearly $200 billion in civil penalties if Meta is found liable.
Meta has rejected the allegations, arguing that it did not seek to make children addicted to its platforms for profit. The company has also said its research found no clear connection between adolescents’ social media use and poor well-being.
Mosseri’s expected appearance was confirmed by the office of California Attorney General Rob Bonta.
The trial is taking place in federal court in Oakland, California, and is expected to continue through much of September. Jurors are expected to issue an advisory verdict, while US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers will determine whether Meta is liable and, if so, impose any civil penalties and order potential changes to Facebook and Instagram.
Mosseri has led Instagram since 2018. His testimony could be particularly significant because he has previously defended the platform’s design and safety policies in other legal proceedings.
In February, Mosseri testified in a Los Angeles trial in which a jury ordered Meta and Google’s parent company, Alphabet, to pay $6 million to a 20-year-old woman who said she became addicted to Instagram and YouTube as a child. The jury found the companies negligent in designing their platforms.
During that case, Mosseri rejected suggestions that Instagram had disregarded children’s safety and defended the platform’s design decisions against allegations from company insiders that certain features were harmful.
The latest trial is part of a growing wave of legal challenges facing Meta over the alleged effects of social media on young people.
Earlier this month, a New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay $567 million to address teenagers’ mental health after the state’s attorney general accused the company’s platforms of creating a public nuisance.
Tennessee is also pursuing a separate lawsuit against Meta, alleging that the company disregarded its own research concerning potential harm to teenagers. That case is being heard in Nashville.
News.Az
By Aysel Mammadzada
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