Mark Zuckerberg grilled over underage Instagram users

2026-02-19 - 11:03

LOS ANGELES – In a landmark trial addressing social media’s impact on children, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified for the first time before a jury, defending Instagram against allegations that the platform is designed to be addictive and harmful to minors. Zuckerberg told the court that Meta does not aim to make Instagram addictive for younger users. “I’m focused on building a community that is sustainable,” he said. “If you do something that’s not good for people, maybe they’ll spend more time [on Instagram] short term, but if they’re not happy with it, they’re not going to use it over time. I’m not trying to maximize the amount of time people spend every month.” During the proceedings, the CEO also denied that people use platforms more simply because they are addictive, stating, “I’m not sure what to say to that... I don’t think that applies here.” The trial, taking place in Los Angeles County Superior Court, consolidates claims from over 1,600 plaintiffs, including more than 350 families and 250 school districts. Plaintiffs accuse Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Snap of intentionally designing addictive products that harm children’s mental health. K.G.M., the lead plaintiff, who was a minor when she first joined Instagram at age 9, alleges that early exposure to social media worsened her mental health and that companies made deliberate design choices to increase engagement for profit. Her attorney, Mark Lanier, pressed Zuckerberg on underage users and Meta’s age verification policies. Zuckerberg acknowledged that despite prohibiting users under 13, some minors lie about their age, and that detection tools were introduced only after many children had already joined. “I always wish we could have gotten there sooner,” he said. Matt Bergman, founding attorney of the Social Media Victims Law Center, representing hundreds of plaintiffs, described Zuckerberg’s testimony as “more than a legal milestone—it is a moment that families across this country have been waiting for,” emphasizing the need for accountability from tech executives who prioritized growth over child safety. Outside the courthouse, parents, including Tammy Rodriguez from Connecticut, said Zuckerberg’s testimony did little to satisfy concerns about ongoing social media harms. Meta has declined further comment, reiterating that evidence will show that challenges faced by plaintiffs predated social media use. Instagram head Adam Mosseri previously defended the platform, stating it was not deliberately engineered to be addictive. The trial is expected to set a precedent for how social media companies are held accountable for child safety. LHC seeks replies on plea against use of social media by children under age 16 in Pakistan