Instagram Head Adam Mosseri Testifies in Meta Youth Addiction Trial

The Stakes of the Meta Social Media Addiction Trial in Oakland

A coalition of 29 United States states brought the lawsuit against Meta Platforms. Four of those states—California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey—accuse the company of engineering its platforms to hook young users, which they claim fuels anxiety, depression, and suicide while misleading consumers about platform safety. Furthermore, all 29 states assert that Meta violated federal law by improperly collecting and using personal data from children under 13. The states have indicated they could seek nearly $200 billion in civil penalties. The trial is expected to continue through much of September, with jurors slated to issue an advisory verdict. Following that, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers will determine liability, potential civil penalties, and any mandatory modifications to Facebook and Instagram.

Adam Mosseri Defends Internal Practices and Safety Research

During the fourth day of the trial, Jason Slothouber, a lawyer for Colorado, questioned Mosseri regarding whether he knew of an alleged Meta policy requiring lawyers to review internal presentations to scrub information or shield executives from problems. Mosseri rejected the suggestion. He stated that it was crucial for the public to receive high-quality information backed by experts when dealing with children’s safety. I want to understand how things work. I can’t think of any time that I’ve encouraged people to bring less information to me. Mosseri also testified that Instagram instituted tighter controls over sensitive research following the 2021 leak of the Facebook Files by whistleblower Frances Haugen. Haugen alleged that Meta knew its products were unsafe for children but pursued higher profits instead. According to Mosseri, Meta restricted access to sensitive teenager research to a single team, stating, We no longer gave access to people who didn’t work on those projects. Meta has consistently rejected accusations that it sought to addict children for profit, maintaining that its internal research shows no clear link between adolescent social media use and a lack of well-being.

Product Design Testimony and Prior Legal Battles

Before Mosseri took the stand, Instagram’s director of product design, Francesco Fogu, testified about a 2023 teenager safety presentation prepared for company leadership. Fogu also admitted that Instagram knew fewer users would utilize its take a break feature if it was not configured as the default setting. The current trial follows other recent legal actions against the tech giant. In February, Mosseri testified in a Los Angeles trial where a jury found Meta and Alphabet’s Google negligent in platform design, ordering them to pay $6 million to a 20-year-old woman who claimed she became addicted to Instagram and YouTube as a child. Additionally, a New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay $567 million earlier in August to address teenage mental health after that state’s attorney general designated the platforms a public nuisance, while Tennessee is pursuing a similar lawsuit in Nashville.