Courts and Consumer Protection

Jurors in a New Mexico bellwether case against Meta watched a recorded deposition of CEO Mark Zuckerberg in which he was pressed on internal research and user complaints about Facebook and Instagram being 'addictive' for teens going back to 2008. The state alleges Meta violated consumer‑protection laws by failing to disclose known risks of social‑media addiction and child sexual exploitation, while Meta insists it discloses risks and works to remove harmful content even though some still gets through. In the footage, Zuckerberg disputes the term 'addictive' as a colloquialism but acknowledges that for years he set engagement goals based on time spent, including for teenage users, before shifting to other metrics around 2017. He also defends reversing a temporary ban on cosmetic Instagram filters that appeared to promote plastic surgery, saying he was wary of 'censoring' user expression absent clear evidence of harm. The trial, which also featured a deposition from Instagram chief Adam Mosseri, is one of two early cases—alongside a parallel Los Angeles lawsuit—that could shape thousands of similar claims by states and families over alleged youth harms from major social‑media platforms.