Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive officer of Meta Platforms Inc., during a dinner with tech leaders in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025. US President Donald Trump said he would be imposing tariffs on semiconductor imports "very shortly" but spare goods from companies like Apple Inc. that have pledged to boost their US investments. Photographer: Will Oliver/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg must testify at the first trial for a lawsuit alleging adverse effects of social media on younger users, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled Monday.
Snap CEO Evan Spiegel and Instagram's Adam Mosseri will also need to testify at trial, which is slated to begin January, Judge Carolyn Kuhl ruled. The ruling followed a hearing on Monday where lawyers argued against the CEOs taking the witness stand.
"The testimony of a CEO is uniquely relevant, as that officer's knowledge of harms, and failure to take available steps to avoid such harms could establish negligence or ratification of negligent conduct," she wrote.
Kuhl ruled that their testimonies would be "unique," given the allegations that social media companies failed to warn users of features created to "be addictive" and "drive compulsive" behaviors in minors.
Law360 was first to report the judge's order.