Mark Zuckerberg has acknowledged that Meta was slow to strengthen age verification measures on Instagram, as he gave evidence in a closely watched California trial examining the impact of social media on young users.
The Meta chief executive appeared before a Los Angeles jury on Wednesday in what is being described as a landmark case brought by American families who argue that major technology companies designed their platforms in ways that harmed children’s mental health.
Questioned about internal concerns that the company had failed to adequately prevent children under 13 from signing up to Instagram, Zuckerberg said improvements had since been introduced but conceded he wished progress had been faster. He told the court that, in hindsight, stronger safeguards could have been implemented sooner.
The case marks the first time Zuckerberg has addressed the safety of Meta’s platforms directly before a jury while under oath. The proceedings are expected to play a significant role in shaping how courts assess responsibility for the mental health effects associated with social media use.
During cross-examination, lawyers for the plaintiff pressed Zuckerberg on internal emails suggesting that age verification systems were ineffective and that increasing user engagement, including time spent on the platform, had long been a central objective.
Zuckerberg maintained that time spent on Meta’s platforms was not a goal in itself but rather a by-product of offering what he described as valuable services that connect people. He acknowledged that the company previously tracked time-based metrics but said its broader aim was to build products users found meaningful.
He also argued that age verification would be more effectively handled at the operating system level by companies such as Apple and Google, whose software powers most smartphones. According to Zuckerberg, verifying age at the device level would provide a clearer and more consistent standard than requiring individual apps to manage the process independently.
The lawsuit centres on the experience of Kaley G.M., a 20-year-old California resident who began using social media platforms in early childhood. Court filings state that she accessed YouTube at the age of six and later joined Instagram before turning 13, despite platform rules prohibiting underage users.
Jurors were shown company documents indicating that millions of children under 13 may have been using Instagram in the mid-2010s. One internal communication cited during the trial suggested that a significant proportion of US children aged 10 to 12 had accounts at the time.
When asked about those figures, Zuckerberg told the court that Meta’s current systems are stronger and said he believes the company is now in a better position regarding age enforcement.
The plaintiff’s legal team has argued that Meta and Google-owned YouTube deliberately designed features to maximise engagement among young users, contributing to compulsive usage patterns and worsening mental health outcomes. The companies deny intentionally targeting children or designing their platforms to cause harm.
The jury is expected to decide whether Meta and Google bear legal responsibility for the psychological difficulties alleged in the case. The trial, scheduled to continue until late March, is widely viewed as a test case that could influence thousands of similar lawsuits filed across the United States.
TikTok and Snapchat, which were also named in the original complaint, reached settlements before proceedings began. The outcome of the case against Meta and Google may help establish how courts assess the responsibilities of technology companies in addressing youth safety and mental health concerns in the digital age.
