Meta's legal team faces judge's wrath over ‘extraordinary misstep' at addiction trial

A California judge scolded members of Meta’s legal team representing Mark Zuckerberg, who appeared in the courtroom for the social media addiction trial.

The incident occurred on Wednesday, February 18, when Zuckerberg arrived to testify in the landmark trial of social media addiction.

The lawsuit alleges that Meta and Alphabet-owned YouTube deliberately designed the social media platforms in a way that encourages compulsive usage among children.

As reported by CBS, the judge upbraided the Meta team and said, "If your guys have recorded anything, you must dispose of it, or he will hold them in contempt.

According to California Rule of Court 1.150 subdivision (c), recording devices and cameras are banned in courtroom.

Presiding Judge Carolyn Kuhl directed that anyone in the courtroom wearing AI glasses must take them off immediately and strictly forbade the use of facial recognition software on jurors.

It is not clear at this point whether the recording capabilities of the glasses had been enabled in the courtroom or how long they had been worn. Meta did not have an immediate comment on the matter.

The glasses, which cost between $299 and $799, come equipped with a small camera that allows the wearer to take photos and record video.