An unexpected moment briefly shifted attention away from Mark Zuckerberg’s closely watched testimony at a major social media addiction trial involving Meta and YouTube on Wednesday.
According to CNBC, Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl warned members of Zuckerberg’s entourage that they could face contempt of court for wearing Meta AI glasses inside the Los Angeles courtroom. The glasses have recording capabilities, which are strictly prohibited.
“If you have done that, you must delete that, or you will be held in contempt of the court,” Judge Kuhl said. “This is very serious.”
Zuckerberg’s executive assistant, Andrea Besmehn, along with another individual, was seen wearing the Meta glasses while entering the courthouse.
Trial centers on social media addiction claims
The case focuses on allegations that social media companies intentionally engineered their platforms to increase engagement among young users. The ruling could have implications for thousands of similar lawsuits.
The plaintiff, a 20-year-old identified as “KGM” or “Kaley,” claims she developed mental health problems as a result of social media addiction. TikTok and Snap reached settlements before the trial began.
Zuckerberg addresses public image criticism
During questioning, the plaintiff’s attorney raised an internal Meta document suggesting communications staff encouraged Zuckerberg to appear more “authentic, direct, human, insightful, and real,” while avoiding a “robotic” or “corporate” image.
Zuckerberg rejected the notion that he was coached, describing the remarks as simple feedback.
“I think I’m actually well known to be very bad at this,” he said, drawing laughter from the courtroom. Zuckerberg has frequently been criticized for appearing stiff or uncomfortable in public settings.
Debate over the concept of addiction
When asked whether people tend to use addictive products more often, Zuckerberg responded cautiously.
“I’m not sure what to say to that. I don’t think that applies here.”
The exchange led to further questioning about whether Instagram set internal goals tied to user engagement time.
Attorney Mark Lanier referenced documents from prior testimony by Instagram head Adam Mosseri indicating targets to increase average daily engagement — aiming for 40 minutes in 2023 and 46 minutes by 2026.
Zuckerberg acknowledged that Instagram previously tracked engagement metrics but stated the company later shifted its focus toward product utility.
“The basic assumption is that if something is valuable, people will use it more because it’s useful to them,” he explained.
Questions about protections for young users
A significant portion of the testimony addressed Instagram’s policies regarding users under 13 years old.
Zuckerberg noted that some users misrepresent their ages during registration. He emphasized that Meta enforces age limits outlined in its terms of service and removes accounts identified as underage.
He also argued that companies such as Apple and Google are better positioned to manage age verification, given their control over operating systems and app stores.
“You expect a 9-year-old to read all of the fine print?” one of the plaintiff’s lawyers asked.
In response, a Meta spokesperson told the Associated Press the company strongly disputes the lawsuit’s claims and remains confident the evidence will demonstrate its long-standing efforts to support young users.
Separately, Meta is facing a consumer protection lawsuit in New Mexico, where the state’s attorney general alleges the company failed to adequately prevent child sexual exploitation on its platforms.
