ZUCKERBERG DEFENDS META IN US SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICTION TRIAL

LOS ANGELES, Feb 19 (Bernama-dpa) -- Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg defended his company's practices in a potentially far-reaching United States (US) trial over whether social media is addictive for children, reported German Press Agency (dpa).

Zuckerberg, speaking from the witness stand, told a court in Los Angeles on Wednesday that Meta no longer sets goals for how long users should spend on its apps, according to The Wall Street Journal.

While he acknowledged that some users under the age of 13 access services such as Instagram despite rules prohibiting it, he said such accounts are removed when discovered, according to CNBC.

In the lawsuit, a 20-year-old plaintiff identified only by the initials KGM accuses online platforms of deliberately designing their services to be addictive, citing features such as infinite scrolling.

She says she began using the platforms as a child and attributes her depression and anxiety to their impact.

The civil trial concerns Google's video platform YouTube and the photo- and video-sharing service Instagram, which is owned by Meta.

The companies behind competitors Snapchat and TikTok, which were initially also sued, reached settlements and are no longer part of the proceedings.

The outcome of the trial, which opened earlier this month, could set a precedent for hundreds of similar lawsuits.

Meta and YouTube have denied any responsibility for the plaintiff’s mental health problems.

--BERNAMA-dpa