Zuckerberg takes the stand in Los Angeles over teen mental health claims

Mark Zuckerberg faced tough questions in a Los Angeles courtroom as he defended Meta against claims that Instagram deliberately made products that were addictive to children.

A 20-year-old woman, known as Kaley, accuses Meta and YouTube of designing harmful features that hooked her when she was just nine years old. She says excessive use led to anxiety, body dysmorphia, and suicidal thoughts.

Internal documents raise concerns
During more than five hours of testimony, Zuckerberg said he managed youth safety in a reasonable way and doesn’t ask teams to boost the time spent by users. His statement came after the plaintiff showed an email from 2015 that asked teams to increase the time users spend on the app by 12% in 2016.

While Zuckerberg said that children under 13 aren’t allowed on the platforms, and are removed when caught, the plaintiff’s lawyer presented a 2015 internal estimate showing that more than 4 million Instagram users were under 13, nearly 30% of US children aged 10 to 12 at the time. 

Instagram did not require users to enter a birthdate until 2019. The lawyer also cited the company’s plans that once targeted a 10% increase in Instagram usage.

Zuckerberg testified a week after Instagram chief Adam Mosseri, who was pressed on a 2020 podcast remark acknowledging social media addiction.

Parents demand accountability
Outside the court, parents who say social media harmed or even killed their children accused Meta of putting profits over safety.

The outcome could shape hundreds of similar lawsuits and cost tech companies billions in damages. TikTok and Snap were also sued, but the two settled before trial.