Zuckerberg, Mosseri, and Spiegel Ordered to Testify in January Trial on Social Media Addiction and Safety

A Los Angeles judge has ruled that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri, and Snap CEO Evan Spiegel must testify in a trial set for January. The case centers on social media safety and whether the platforms are addictive, with a focus on alleged harms to young users.

Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl wrote that “the testimony of a CEO is uniquely relevant, as that officer’s knowledge of harms, and failure to take available steps to avoid such harms could establish negligence or ratification of negligent conduct.” The January proceeding is expected to be closely watched as one of the first major trials among many lawsuits alleging youth harms from social platforms.

Key points

• Who must testify: Zuckerberg (Meta), Mosseri (Instagram), and Spiegel (Snap).
• When: Trial begins in January in Los Angeles.
• What’s at issue: Whether platform design and policies contributed to addictive use and safety harms for young users.
• Company pushback: Lawyers for Meta and Snap argued the executives should be spared; Meta warned compelled testimony could set a precedent.
• Plaintiffs’ broader context: This is the first of numerous cases that could shape how platforms address youth safety and design choices.

Why it matters

Having CEOs testify under oath could surface internal knowledge and decision-making around product design, content ranking, safety tooling, and youth protections. Outcomes may influence future policy changes, disclosures, and product features (e.g., age verification, parental controls, time limits, and recommendation safeguards).

What to watch next

• Pretrial motions and appeals: Whether companies seek to narrow testimony scope.
• Discovery revelations: Internal documents, research, or risk assessments that inform product decisions.
• Ripple effects: Similar lawsuits in other jurisdictions may adopt findings or testimony.

References:
Engadget coverage: executives ordered to testify

Discussion: If you could pose one question to these CEOs about youth safety and platform design, what would it be?