Zuckerberg grilled in court over social media harms on teens

Core Viewpoint - The trial against Meta aims to determine if its social media applications are addictive and harmful to teens and children, with evidence suggesting that parental supervision is ineffective in preventing compulsive use [1][6]. Group 1: Testimony and Evidence - Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified that Instagram employees were not given goals to increase daily app usage, contradicting a 2015 email chain that indicated a push to increase user time spent in the app by 12% [2]. - Internal documents revealed that as of 2015, approximately 4 million children under 13 had Instagram accounts, including about 30% of children aged 10-12 in the U.S. [3]. - Zuckerberg argued that age verification is challenging and suggested that smartphone manufacturers like Apple could assist in this matter [4]. Group 2: Legal Context and Implications - The plaintiff, a 20-year-old named KGM, has sued multiple social media companies, alleging the harmful nature of their platforms, with TikTok and Snap settling before the trial [5]. - The outcome of the trial could lead to significant reforms in the tech industry, new laws and regulations, and potential settlements for victims if the companies are found liable [6].