Coalition Stands with Families as Meta CEO Takes the Stand for the First Time in Youth Safety Case

LOS ANGELES, CA – The Kids Code Coalition issued the following statement as Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is set to testify today in the first jury trial in 2026’s landmark litigation over social media’s harms to children and teens:

“Mark Zuckerberg’s apology to grieving families wasn’t good enough then, and it isn’t good enough today. Far too many children and teens across the country have suffered and continue to struggle because of reckless choices made by profit-seeking companies and platforms. We cannot take CEOs like Mark Zuckerberg at their word – because those words have time and time again been proven empty. We stand with the parents and families in these lawsuits, and we will keep working to develop and pass effective laws with strong accountability mechanisms to hold Big Tech companies accountable for protecting kids, and to stop CEOs like Zuckerberg from exploiting young people,” said Kids Code Coalition advocates Todd and Mia Minor.

About the landmark social media lawsuits

In 2026, major social media companies Meta, Google, TikTok, and Snap face coordinated legal action from thousands of plaintiffs – families, school districts, local governments, and state attorneys general – alleging that executives knowingly designed addictive products that harm young users’ mental health. These cases, considered the most significant social media accountability litigation to date, draw parallels to landmark product liability cases against Big Tobacco and the automotive industry.

About the Kids Code Coalition

The Kids Code Coalition is a wide-ranging group of national and state organizations dedicated to improving youth online security and privacy by supporting policies that ensure companies prioritize kids’ and teens’ safety and developmental needs when designing digital platforms and products.

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