BBS:      TELESC.NET.BR
Assunto:  Re: A major lawsuit on social media addictio
De:       Mike Powell
Data:     Fri, 20 Feb 2026 11:39:24 -0500
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Teens had `an addicts' narrative about their Instagram use' - Mark
Zuckerberg takes stand in trail which could reshape not just social media, but
his AI and Ray-Ban XR dreams

By Hamish Hector published 17 hours ago

The social media addiction trial continues

    Mark Zuckerberg spoke at the LA social media addiction trial
    He defended Meta's approach to protecting teen users
    The plantiff's lawyer argued Meta was targeting teens for platform growth

Meta's focus might look to be more on AI and smart glasses than the social
media platforms which saw it rise to prominence, but errors its accused of
making with regards to keeping teens safe online could affect the whole
company, and the whole tech industry.

To catch you up to speed, Meta and YouTube are currently involved in a social
media addiction trial being held in Los Angeles, which pits the duo against a
plaintiff accusing the companies of intentionally creating damagingly addictive
platforms.

It's one of thousands of similar lawsuits that have been filed against social
media giants, which are attempting to argue that platform features rather than
platform content have created negative addictive tendencies in younger users.
Social media content is protected by the infamous Section 230 federal rule,
which shields platforms from liability for the user-generated content on their
sites, but lawyers for the plaintiff argue the law doesn't protect features
like infinite scroll.

The trial started a little over a week ago, and after opening arguments from
lawyers for each side, key figures are taking the stand, including, recently,
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

Zuckerberg defended the actions of his company, saying that, while he regrets
Meta not making faster progress in its efforts to identify users under 13, the
teams working on platforms like Facebook and Instagram have spent years
addressing "problematic use" because "it's the right thing to do"
(via the BBC).

This includes adding features such as daily use limits, usage alerts, and the
ability to switch notifications off in the evening and overnight.

He was, however, questioned about various internal messages, such as one in
2017 which sees an executive saying "Mark has decided the top priority for
the company is teens," and another from 2015 in which Zuckerberg and others
discuss strategies to increase "teen usage."

Zuckerberg was also asked about a 2019 research report from an independent
company done on behalf of Instagram, which said teen users had "an addicts'
narrative about their Instagram use."

More than a social media trial?

As we've discussed in previous articles about this ongoing story, the verdict
made in this trial could have major ramifications for social media companies.
There are thousands of similar lawsuits making their way through the US courts
that would take precedent from the decisions made here, and a negative result
for Meta and YouTube could embolden more governments to introduce or tighten
social media restrictions for younger users, following the lead of Australia.

But for both of these companies, a negative result - or even simply a
negative result in the court of public opinion - could impact not only their
past mistakes but their future projects too.

Both Meta and Google, the parent of YouTube, are currently pushing hard into AI
and wearables with Ray-Ban Meta glasses and Android XR. Smart glasses are the
big new thing in tech, and there are rumors that Meta might finally launch a
smart watch to compete with Android and Apple bands, but these gadgets can give
these companies a lot of insight into our lives and our physical health.

A recent New York Times report has suggested Meta wants to add facial
recognition to its specs, and numerous wearables brands have dreamed up visions
of glasses that can remind you where you left your keys before you leave home.
But these features only work effectively if your tech is always watching your
every move, listening to all your conversations, and deeply involved in your
life.

If the perception (even if the trial's verdict disputes it) is that Meta and
YouTube - and by extension Google - misuse social media data to get people
hooked on their tech, I imagine folks wouldn't be keen to hand over even more
data to these companies through wearables.

Equally, if Meta and YouTube can prove they have done everything they can to
keep users safe, then that could help convince people that their wearables are
the safest option in this new AI/AR wild west.

This is a case we'll be following closely, though with the trial still
underway, and appeals likely to follow, don't expect a final decision to be
made any time soon.


https://www.techradar.com/computing/social-media/mark-zuckerberg-takes-stand-in
-trail-which-could-reshape-not-just-social-media-but-his-ai-and-ray-ban-xr-drea
ms

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