Mark Zuckerberg, the chief of Meta Platforms, defended his company in a high-profile Los Angeles trial on Wednesday, facing allegations that Meta deliberately targeted children to increase social media engagement.
Confronted with internal documents, Zuckerberg argued that his statements and company practices were being misrepresented as proof of deliberate harm to young users.
The lawsuit, which also names Google’s YouTube, has drawn attention for its potential impact on thousands of similar cases nationwide. TikTok and Snapchat, originally included in the lawsuit, reached settlements just before the trial started, though the terms were not disclosed.
Meta has insisted that it actively works to protect young users, banning anyone under 13 from creating accounts.
During court proceedings, lead plaintiff K.G.M’s lawyer, Mark Lanier, presented an internal email suggesting these age limits were “unenforced,” written by Nick Clegg, who previously served as Meta’s head of global affairs. The email stated that the lax enforcement made it “difficult to claim we're doing all we can.”
Another internal document from 2018 revealed the company discussing how to retain “tweens” on Instagram, despite official rules barring users under 13. Zuckerberg acknowledged he “always” regretted not acting faster to identify underage users but said he believed the company eventually reached the “right place over time.”
He told the court the tween document was taken out of context, explaining there had been discussions about building a regulated version of the platform for children under 13.
He cited Messenger Kids, which he said he uses “with my own kids.” “You're mischaracterising what I'm saying,” Zuckerberg added. “I'm not surprised that people internally were studying this.”
Lanier also pressed Zuckerberg on efforts to boost teen engagement. He shared internal emails showing the company’s focus on increasing “teen usage.” A 2015 email from Zuckerberg set a goal for executives to see “time spent increase by 12%” and to reverse the “teen trend.” A 2017 email stated, “Mark has decided the top priority for the company is teens.”
Zuckerberg admitted that early in the company’s development he encouraged executives to increase time spent on the platform, but said such practices were no longer in effect. K.G.M, who began using Instagram and YouTube as a child, attended the session, sitting across from Zuckerberg. Bereaved parents were also in the courtroom.
The trial, expected to last several weeks, will feature testimony from former Meta employees critical of the company’s practices.
Last week, Adam Mosseri challenged the notion of social media addiction, arguing that even 16 hours of Instagram use in a single day does not constitute addiction.
Zuckerberg said that when something is valuable, “people tend to use it more.” Lanier responded that addiction also leads to increased usage. “I don't know what to say to that,” Zuckerberg replied. “I think that may be true but I don't know if that applies here.”
The lawsuit is part of a wave of cases claiming that social media platforms, including Meta, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube, are addictive and harmful to children. In a related case, 29 state attorneys general are asking a federal court in California to require Meta to remove accounts for users under 13 immediately.
The issue has spurred international responses, with Australia banning social media accounts for children under 16. The UK, Denmark, France, and Spain are considering similar measures to protect minors from excessive use.
