Mark Zuckerberg, Meta CEO, testified in a Los Angeles trial that he regrets the company’s slow progress in identifying underage users on Instagram. The trial centers on allegations that Meta and Google designed their platforms to be addictive, harming young users’ mental health. Zuckerberg acknowledged internal documents showing four million under-13 users in 2015, representing 30% of 10-12-year-olds in the US.
Zuckerberg defended Instagram’s age verification policies, stating they’re “in the right place now” with new tools analyzing user behavior and content interactions. However, he conceded, “I always wish we could have gotten there sooner.” The trial will determine whether Meta and Google bear responsibility for the plaintiff’s mental health issues, potentially setting a precedent for thousands of similar lawsuits.
