In the ongoing court case concerning the impact of social media on mental health, Apple, along with Meta, is coming under scrutiny. Mark Zuckerberg, in his defense, is attempting to emphasize that he made early efforts to protect young users – explicitly referring to an attempt to contact Apple CEO Tim Cook.
The case is seen as a potential precedent for the entire industry. At its core, it concerns responsibility, age verification, and the question of who is liable for potential psychological harm caused by social media.
The case originated with a lawsuit filed by a now 19-year-old woman in a Los Angeles court. She claims that social media drove her to self-harm and suicidal thoughts. Together with her mother, she initially sued several companies: Meta, YouTube, Snap, and TikTok.
Snap and TikTok reached an out-of-court settlement. The legal proceedings will now focus primarily on Meta. Observers see this as a test case with potentially far-reaching consequences for the regulation of social media in the US.
Zuckerberg's defense: Contact with Apple as proof of commitment
According to a CNBC report, Meta's defense team has presented evidence that Mark Zuckerberg actively worked to protect young Instagram users.
Zuckerberg told the court he sent an email to Tim Cook in February 2018. In it, he wanted to discuss the "well-being of teenagers and children". He saw opportunities for his company and Apple to develop solutions together.
Whether this conversation actually took place has not yet been confirmed. There is no public evidence of a meeting or any concrete collaboration.
In March 2018, Tim Cook publicly criticized Meta's handling of data privacy, making it clear that he disagreed with their approach. It was later reported that Zuckerberg was so angered by this that he internally demanded employees switch from iPhones to Android. This account was later denied.
In the current legal proceedings, the email to Apple serves as an argument that Zuckerberg made efforts to protect young users. At the same time, this reference follows previous attempts by Meta to shift responsibility for certain safeguards onto platform operators like Apple and Google.
Age verification as a central point of contention
A key aspect of the process is the issue of age verification. Meta had previously resisted stricter age verification procedures of its own, arguing that Apple and Google should handle this task at the operating system or app store level.
Instagram officially requires a minimum age of 13. Zuckerberg explained in court that this requirement is clearly stated during registration. At the same time, he admitted that younger children also gain access to the platform.
A lawyer for the plaintiffs questioned whether it could seriously be expected that a 9-year-old would read the fine print. He questioned whether this practice was actually sufficient to declare under oath that children under 13 were not admitted.
The dispute over age verification is therefore not just a technical issue, but touches upon the fundamental responsibility of platform operators.
Mental health and beauty filters
During the trial, Zuckerberg was also confronted with studies suggesting that social media can have negative effects on mental health. Beauty filters on Instagram were a particular point of discussion.
Zuckerberg explained that Meta had consulted with unnamed stakeholders on this issue and discussed possible measures internally.
However, the plaintiffs' lawyer presented internal documents showing that Zuckerberg had rescinded a planned ban on certain beauty filters. His reasoning was that such a ban would be "paternalistic".
In court, Zuckerberg said that this choice of words sounded like something he would say himself and that reflected his views. He felt it was somewhat presumptuous to impose such requirements on users. He preferred to play it safe and give people the opportunity to express themselves.
Procedure and further developments
The trial is expected to last until March 2026. Due to the significance of the case, it is being closely monitored.
During one of the most recent sessions, Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl also clarified that she would consider any use of meta-glasses to record the proceedings a contempt of court. Such violations would be punished.
Responsibility redistributed between Meta and Apple?
The case against Meta goes far beyond the individual case of a young plaintiff. It addresses fundamental questions about the responsibility of social networks, age verification, and the potential psychological consequences of their use.
Zuckerberg's reference to contacting Apple is meant to show that he sought solutions early on. At the same time, the case raises the question of whether responsibility can be shared between app developers and platform operators – or whether social networks need to be held more accountable. (Image: Shutterstock / Gorodenkoff)
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