Mark Zuckerberg, the boss of Instagram-owner Meta Platforms, struggled in court on Wednesday to defend his company from claims it targeted young users as he was confronted with multiple internal documents.
He maintained that lawyers were “mischaracterising” the communications, which were presented as part of a landmark trial in Los Angeles over whether social media platforms like Instagram are addictive for children.
It was Zuckerberg’s first appearance before a jury, after years of rising backlash against Meta, which also owns WhatsApp and Facebook.
The trial, in which Google’s YouTube is also a defendant, is being closely watched for its implications for thousands of similar lawsuits.
TikTok and Snapchat, also named in the lawsuit, settled shortly before trial was scheduled to begin. Terms of the settlements were not disclosed.
Meta repeatedly maintained that the company has taken action to protect young users and bars people under the age of 13.
But in court, Mark Lanier, the lawyer for the lead plaintiff in the case – known by her initials K.G.M – repeatedly presented internal emails, messages, and research showing Zuckerberg and other Meta employees discussing usage of Instagram and Facebook by teenagers and younger.
Lanier asked Zuckerberg about a 2019 research report from an outside company done on behalf of Instagram, which found that teens using the platform felt “hooked despite how it makes them feel”, adding that teen users had “an addicts’ narrative about their Instagram use.”