Meta Platforms Inc. Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg took the witness stand in a Los Angeles courtroom this week as internal company documents surfaced showing executives tracked engagement among children younger than Instagram's stated minimum age of 13.
The trial, one of the first jury tests in a wave of social-media addiction lawsuits, centers on claims that Instagram was engineered to maximize youth engagement-even as company policies barred users under 13. The case is being closely watched because it could influence roughly 1,600 related lawsuits filed by families and school districts nationwide.
During cross-examination, plaintiff's attorney Mark Lanier confronted Zuckerberg with internal reviews and historical data indicating that children were not only present on Meta platforms but highly engaged. A 2020 internal review showed that 11-year-olds were four times more likely to return to Facebook than older users.
"People who join Facebook at 11 years old?" Lanier asked. "I thought y'all didn't have any of those?"
Zuckerberg did not provide a direct explanation in response.
Lanier also displayed a 2015 internal document estimating that roughly 30% of American 10-to-12-year-olds were using Instagram. Another file outlined a goal of increasing how long 10-year-olds spent on the app. A 2018 internal memo stated plainly: "If we wanna win big with teens, we must bring them in as tweens."
"I don't remember the context of this email from more than 10 years ago," Zuckerberg said when questioned about the memo.
The case's lead plaintiff, identified in court filings as KGM, began using social media at age six and was reportedly on Instagram by age nine. Court records indicate she once spent more than 16 hours in a single day on the platform. Her mother attempted to use third-party software to restrict access, according to testimony.
"You expect a 9-year-old to read all of the fine print?" Lanier asked Zuckerberg. "That's your basis for swearing under oath that children under 13 are not allowed?"
Instagram did not require birthdates at sign-up until late 2019, according to court evidence presented.
Another key issue involves engagement targets. Internal planning documents referenced during the trial indicated Instagram aimed for users to average 40 minutes per day in 2023, with a plan to increase that to 46 minutes by 2026.
The courtroom's most dramatic moment came when attorneys displayed a roughly 20-foot collage of hundreds of selfies KGM posted as a child. Lanier asked Zuckerberg whether the account had ever been flagged for such extensive activity. Zuckerberg did not offer a specific response.
TikTok and Snap settled similar claims before trial under undisclosed terms. That leaves Meta and YouTube as remaining defendants in this proceeding.
Matt Bergman, founder of the Social Media Victims Law Center, which represents about 750 plaintiffs in related cases, called the testimony "more than a legal milestone - it is a moment that families across this country have been waiting for."
Meta has denied wrongdoing. A company spokesperson said the company is "confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people."
