In a major legal showdown in Los Angeles, Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg took the stand in a civil lawsuit over claims that Instagram and YouTube harmed a woman’s mental health when she used the apps as a child. The courtroom testimony highlights deep questions about whether social media companies deliberately designed addictive features and targeted young users for profit.
The lawsuit was filed by a 20-year-old Californian woman, known as KGM in court filings, who says she began using Instagram and YouTube at a very young age and developed depression and suicidal thoughts linked to her social media use. She argues that the companies sought to “hook kids on their services,” knowing the damage these apps could cause to mental health.
Zuckerberg’s Key Defense
Zuckerberg repeatedly told jurors that Instagram does not allow users under 13 and that Meta did not intentionally target children. He emphasized that while the platform prohibits under-age sign-ups, enforcing age verification is difficult because users often lie about their birthday.
When plaintiff’s lawyer Mark Lanier confronted him with internal Meta documents suggesting youth were a key demographic and that Instagram sought early engagement, Zuckerberg said Lanier was “mischaracterising what I am saying.” He acknowledged Meta had discussed creating a child-friendly version of Instagram but said such a service was never launched.
One 2018 internal presentation used in court read, “If we want to win big with teens, we must bring them in as tweens.” Lanier noted this contradicted Zuckerberg’s public claims, yet Zuckerberg maintained Meta’s core intent was not to exploit children.
Read More: Plaintiff Lawyer Says Meta, Google Built Platforms to Addict Children
Age Verification and Engagement Goals
Jurors also saw emails from Meta leadership, including one from former VP Nick Clegg suggesting that Instagram’s age limits were “unenforced (unenforceable?).” Zuckerberg reiterated that accurately verifying ages is complex but insisted Meta works to keep its younger users safe.
Another flashpoint was Zuckerberg’s past statements to the US Congress about user engagement goals. Internal email evidence showed earlier plans to grow time spent on Instagram by a double-digit percentage, but Zuckerberg said the goals had evolved and were no longer focused on maximizing usage. “If you are trying to say my testimony was not accurate, I strongly disagree with that,” he said.
Read More: Instagram, Facebook & WhatsApp to Get Paid Features: What Meta’s Next Move Means
Broader Implications
This case is part of a wave of lawsuits against big tech firms, including Snap, TikTok, Google and Meta, alleging social media harms youth mental health and contributes to addictive behavior. Meta’s rivals TikTok and Snap settled with the plaintiff before trial.
Legal observers say a verdict against Meta could profoundly affect how social media companies are held accountable for platform design and youth safety, eroding longstanding legal protections shielding tech companies from liability.
