Meta CEO Denies Misleading Congress Over Children’s Screen Time

Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, testified under oath on Wednesday, asserting that the company did not deceive Congress regarding the design of its social media platforms and their impact on children’s screen time.

During proceedings in Los Angeles Superior Court, attorney Mark Lanier, representing a woman from California who alleges Meta’s platform harmed her mental health during childhood, challenged Zuckerberg sharply.

Lanier presented emails from 2014 and 2015, where Zuckerberg mentioned goals to significantly increase user engagement on the app. He questioned Zuckerberg’s earlier statements to Congress on whether these goals contradicted claims made under oath.

Lawyers pressed Zuckerberg on whether these internal objectives contradicted his 2024 testimony that Meta had not aimed to maximize user engagement on its platforms.

“If you want to say that my testimony was not accurate, I strongly disagree with that,” Zuckerberg stated firmly in court.

This was Zuckerberg’s first time addressing a jury concerning allegations that Meta’s platforms were intentionally crafted to attract young users, contributing to a mental health crisis among youths.

The lawsuit represents the first case of approximately 1,500 consolidated suits aimed at Meta and other tech giants, accusing them of creating addictive products that pose risks to children. The outcomes of these cases could potentially lead to severe consequences for the companies involved.