Frances Haugen

Rule Changes

Key figure in triggering litigation wave

The Los Angeles bellwether trial testing whether social media platforms can be held liable for addictive design features is now in active proceedings, with opening statements delivered February 9 and key executive testimony underway. Mark Zuckerberg testified for nearly eight hours on February 18, defending Instagram against claims that the company deliberately designed features to addict children while knowing the harms. Internal documents presented in court showed Instagram aimed to increase daily user time to 46 minutes by 2026 and that roughly 4 million users were under 13—about 30% of all 10- to 12-year-olds in the U.S. at the time—despite the company's public policy prohibiting users under 13. The trial, which began jury selection January 27, represents the first time major tech companies face a jury over allegations their products harm children's mental health.

Updated Feb 19