During a court appearance on Wednesday, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg refuted a lawyer’s claim that he had given misleading information to Congress regarding the design of the company’s social media platforms in the ongoing trial concerning youth social media addiction.
Zuckerberg faced questions about his previous statements to Congress during a hearing in 2024, where he stated that the company did not instruct its teams to maximize user engagement time on its applications. The attorney representing a woman who alleges that Meta negatively impacted her mental health during her childhood presented emails from 2014 and 2015 in which Zuckerberg outlined objectives to boost app usage by double-digit percentages.
Zuckerberg clarified that while Meta had previously focused on increasing user engagement time, the company has since altered its approach. He disagreed strongly with any suggestion that his testimony was inaccurate.
This court appearance marked the first time the billionaire Facebook founder testified in court regarding Instagram’s impact on the mental well-being of young users. The stakes are high in the Los Angeles jury trial, as Meta could face financial penalties if it loses, potentially weakening Big Tech’s defense against claims of user harm.
The lawsuit, along with similar ones, is part of a global movement criticizing social media platforms for their effects on children’s mental health. Australia has prohibited social media access for users under 16, while Spain and Florida are contemplating similar restrictions. Industry groups are challenging Florida’s law in court.
The case involves a California woman who claims that using Meta’s Instagram and Google’s YouTube as a child led to her depression and suicidal thoughts, alleging that the companies aimed to profit by addicting children to their services despite knowing the potential harm. Meta and Google have denied these allegations, emphasizing their efforts to enhance user safety and pointing to research findings that do not conclusively link social media to negative impacts on children’s mental health.
The lawsuit is a pivotal case among a larger group of legal actions against Meta, Google, Snap, and TikTok, with numerous families, school districts, and states filing lawsuits accusing these companies of contributing to a youth mental health crisis.
Investigative reports have revealed internal Meta documents showing the company’s awareness of potential harms associated with its platforms. Meta researchers found that teens feeling negative about their bodies on Instagram encountered more content related to eating disorders. Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, testified that he was unaware of a recent study showing no direct connection between parental supervision and teens’ social media habits. Meta’s defense team highlighted the woman’s health records, suggesting that her issues stem from a troubled childhood and that social media served as a creative outlet for her.