In the United States, a landmark court case has begun that experts say could have wide-reaching implications for the tech industry.
A 20-year-old woman has filed a lawsuit against major online platforms, accusing them of deliberately designing their services to create addiction among users.
In the witness stand was Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who defended his company’s practices. Zuckerberg stated that Meta no longer sets targets for user time on its apps. However, court reports indicate that he also admitted past shortcomings in verifying user age.
He acknowledged that the company had been slow to identify underage users, with some children under 13 managing to open accounts on platforms such as Instagram, despite this violating the terms of service. Zuckerberg said that such accounts are removed as soon as they are discovered.
The lawsuit claims that platforms are designed with mechanisms that encourage continuous use, such as the infinite scroll feature, which allows users to move seamlessly from one post to another. The plaintiff stated that she started using these networks as a child and links her long-term use to depression and anxiety.
The case targets YouTube and Instagram and is considered a potentially historic precedent for holding tech companies legally accountable for the mental health impacts of their products.
