Oakland: Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri has denied allegations that the social media platform deliberately kept negative information from the public, as he testified in a major US lawsuit over the alleged impact of social media on children.
Mosseri, who leads Instagram, became the first senior Meta executive to testify in the historic case brought by 29 US states.
CEO questioned over teen safety tool
During questioning, prosecutors focused on Instagram’s Take a Break feature, which encourages teenagers to stop using the platform after spending a certain amount of time scrolling.
Colorado prosecutor Jason Slothouber pointed out that only around 1.8% of teenagers had signed up for the feature, despite Mosseri publicly promoting it.
When asked why the figure had not been disclosed publicly, Mosseri said Instagram did not publish every statistic.
He added that he had publicly acknowledged that the opt-in rate was low, although he could not recall whether he had disclosed the specific figure.
Mosseri rejects claims of hiding information
Mosseri was also questioned about whether Instagram deliberately avoided sharing unfavourable information about its safety features.
“I am not trying to encourage my team to hide anything,” he told the court.
He said the company had made progress on safety measures and wanted to communicate those developments to parents and users.
When prosecutors asked about the concept of repeatedly promoting a message to increase awareness, Mosseri said such communication was necessary when discussing safety features with parents.
States accuse Meta of harming children
The lawsuit alleges that Meta deliberately designed Instagram and Facebook to be addictive and that the platforms have contributed to mental health problems among young people, including anxiety and depression.
The states have also accused Meta of collecting information from children under 13 without parental permission, allegedly violating US laws.
Meta has denied the allegations and described the damages sought by the states as excessive.
Trial could have major consequences
If Meta is found liable, the company could face damages of up to $200 billion, along with possible changes to the way its platforms are designed for younger users.
Jurors have already heard testimony from former Meta safety engineer and whistleblower Arturo Béjar, who accused the company of having a “don’t ask, don’t tell” approach to child safety.
The trial is expected to continue through September. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is also expected to testify