Los Angeles, USA – In a significant legal appearance in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg has robustly denied allegations that Instagram was intentionally designed to be addictive for young users. Giving evidence on Wednesday, the tech tycoon rejected claims that the platform prioritises engagement over the mental health of minors, asserting that his focus remains on building a sustainable community rather than maximising short-term usage.
The proceedings form part of a landmark consolidated lawsuit involving over 1,600 plaintiffs, including hundreds of families and school districts. The legal action alleges that social media giants, including Meta, TikTok, and Snapchat, deployed addictive features that have negatively impacted the wellbeing of children. While TikTok and Snap reached settlements with the primary plaintiff prior to the trial, Meta has chosen to contest the claims in court.
During a combative cross-examination, the court was presented with internal documents from 2018 suggesting that Instagram had approximately four million users under the age of 13 in the United States, despite company policy prohibiting children of that age. Mr Zuckerberg acknowledged the difficulty of age enforcement, noting that many users lie about their date of birth to gain access. He further dismissed internal memos regarding daily usage targets as industry benchmarks rather than specific directives for his engineering teams.
The trial continues to scrutinise the responsibility of tech executives in safeguarding younger audiences, as legal representatives for the plaintiffs argue that internal warnings regarding underage users were historically ignored in favour of growth.
Anadolu
