Zuckerberg trial may hold Big Tech accountable for harm to young users

Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt told CBC Radio that Mark Zuckerberg appeared in court defending Meta against allegations its platforms were designed to addict and harm young users, and Haidt said his team has collected internal Meta studies suggesting the company knew about those harms.

Jonathan Haidt, author of The Anxious Generation, has long warned about harms linked to social media use among people born after 1995. On Wednesday, Mark Zuckerberg appeared in court before a jury to defend Meta against allegations that its platforms targeted young users and were designed to encourage excessive engagement. Haidt told CBC Radio he has discussed these issues with leaders at Meta and Snap and that he believes internal research shows the companies were aware of addictive effects. Lawyers in a California case are arguing that product design, not just user posts, is central to liability and that the trial could set a precedent. What is known: - Jonathan Haidt is the author of The Anxious Generation and has publicly warned about social media effects on young people. - Mark Zuckerberg appeared in court defending Meta against claims the company designed its platforms to keep young users engaged. - Haidt says his team has compiled 31 internal Meta studies at metasinternalresearch.org that he describes as evidence the company studied engagement and its effects. - Lawyers are pursuing a design-based liability argument in bellwether cases that will be decided by juries and could influence many other lawsuits. Summary: A jury is now hearing factual questions in a bellwether case involving Meta, and Haidt says internal research could be central to claims that platforms were designed to be addictive. If early rulings favour plaintiffs, legal observers expect that some related cases may settle, but the broader outcome is undetermined at this time.