(NewsNation) — A Meta whistleblower believes Mark Zuckerberg is at last facing “real accountability” during a trial examining whether social media platforms were deliberately designed in ways causing addiction and harm to children.
Zuckerberg answered questions from attorneys representing a now 20-year-old woman identified by the initials KGM. She alleges that her early use of social media led to addiction and worsened her depression and suicidal thoughts.
“This is the first form of real accountability that he’s had to face, and he’s just not used to it,” Frances Haugen told NewsNation.
The Facebook founder was confronted with an internal Meta document that mentioned “known negative effects of social media in general,” including sleep issues and teens feeling pressure to portray their idealized selves on social media.
An attorney for the plaintiff called Zuckerberg’s appearance “more than a legal milestone.”
Meta and Google’s YouTube are the remaining defendants in the Los Angeles case, after TikTok and Snapchat reached settlements.
The case is one of several bellwether trials, meaning the outcome could shape how thousands of similar lawsuits against social media companies unfold nationwide and potentially alter the social media landscape.
Zuckerberg has previously testified before Congress about youth safety on Meta’s platforms, which include Instagram and Facebook, and he apologized to families who blamed social media for tragedies they believed were caused by it.
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