Mark Zuckerberg appeared before a California jury as part of a high profile trial examining underage Instagram users and the broader impact of social media on young people. The Meta chief acknowledged that his company was slow to improve age verification systems on its platforms.
Testifying under oath in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Zuckerberg said he regretted the pace at which Meta moved to identify children under 13 using Instagram, a practice prohibited under the platform’s rules.
The case is the first in a series of lawsuits brought by American families against major technology companies, alleging that social media platforms contributed to mental health problems among minors.
Mark Zuckerberg faces scrutiny over underage Instagram users
Zuckerberg, 41, is the most closely watched witness in the trial, which is expected to run until late March. The proceedings are seen as a potential benchmark for thousands of similar lawsuits filed across the United States.
During questioning by plaintiff lawyer Mark Lanier, Zuckerberg was pressed on internal complaints suggesting that Meta was not doing enough to prevent children under 13 from signing up to Instagram.
“We’re in the right place now,” Zuckerberg told jurors regarding current age verification measures. However, he added, “I always wish that we could have gotten there sooner.”
Internal company emails presented in court included warnings from employees that age verification systems were inadequate. One document read to the court cited estimates that Instagram had four million users under the age of 13 in 2015, with 30 percent of American children aged 10 to 12 using the platform at that time.
Emails highlight internal concerns
Zuckerberg was also confronted with correspondence from former Meta public policy chief Nick Clegg stating that claiming to ban under 13s without effective enforcement was “indefensible.”
The plaintiff’s legal team further presented emails referring to internal targets for increasing time spent on Instagram. Zuckerberg acknowledged that Meta “used to have goals around time,” but said the company’s broader objective was to build services that connect people.
In earlier testimony before the US Congress, Zuckerberg had said the company did not aim to increase time spent on its platforms. In court, he described time spent on apps as a “side effect” of providing a quality user experience.
Allegations of social media addiction
The trial centers on claims that Meta, along with Google owned YouTube, designed platforms in ways that encouraged compulsive use among young users, contributing to mental health issues.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Kaley G.M., a 20 year old California resident who began using YouTube at age six and later joined Instagram at nine, followed by TikTok and Snapchat.
According to court filings, Kaley’s lawyers argue that the platforms’ design features promoted prolonged engagement, exposing her to harmful content and contributing to depression, anxiety, eating disorders and suicidal thoughts.
Under Instagram’s policies, children under 13 are not permitted to create accounts. The plaintiff’s lawyer emphasized that Kaley was able to register without difficulty.
Responsibility of tech companies
Zuckerberg argued that responsibility for age verification should partly rest with smartphone operating system providers.
He told the court that companies such as Apple and Google, which control most global smartphone operating systems, are better positioned to implement age checks at the device level rather than requiring each application to verify users independently.
“Doing it at the level of the phone is just a lot clearer than having every single app out there have to do this separately,” Zuckerberg said, adding that it would be relatively straightforward for them to implement.
Broader legal implications
The jury will determine whether Meta and Google bear legal responsibility for the mental health harm alleged in this case. TikTok and Snapchat, also named in the complaint, reached settlements with the plaintiff before the trial began.
Legal observers say the outcome could influence how courts handle:
Claims that social media platforms encouraged addictive behavior among minors
Allegations that companies failed to enforce minimum age requirements
Lawsuits linking digital platforms to youth mental health crises
The case comes amid growing international scrutiny of technology companies’ impact on children and adolescents, including calls for stricter age verification measures and regulatory oversight.
While the trial is taking place in the United States, the debate over youth access to social media platforms has also intensified globally, including in the Middle East, where usage rates among teenagers are high.
Conclusion:
The California jury’s decision is expected to shape the legal landscape for social media companies facing similar accusations. For now, Mark Zuckerberg’s testimony places Meta’s policies on underage Instagram users and platform design under direct judicial examination.
