Meta and Snap CEOs Ordered to Testify in Child Social Media Safety Trial

Meta (META, Financials) CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Snap (SNAP, Financials) CEO Evan Spiegel will have to take the stand early next year in a high-profile trial over how social media impacts young users. Instagram head Adam Mosseri was also ordered to testify after a Los Angeles judge said their input was uniquely relevant to the case.

Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl ruled that the executives' direct knowledge of how their platforms were built and what they knew about potential risks could help determine whether the companies acted negligently. The trial, which will happen in January, is the first big test of whether social media companies can be held liable for hurting minors' mental health.

The claims say that firms like Meta and Snap made features on purpose to keep kids and teens interested, but they didn't tell parents about the possible effects. In response, both companies said that past depositions and congressional testimony should be enough for the court. They stated that having their CEOs come in person would get in the way of business as usual and set a bad example for future instances.

Judge Kuhl rejected those arguments, saying the CEOs' testimony could help establish what the companies knew and how they responded.

Meta declined to comment, while Snap said in a statement that the decision doesn't reflect the strength of the plaintiffs' claims and that it looks forward to defending its products in court.

The case is being closely watched across the tech industry as lawmakers and regulators continue to question how social media affects children and what responsibilities companies should bear.