Zuckerberg Refutes Allegations of having Instagram to Hook Kids

(MENAFN) Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg appeared before jurors Wednesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, firmly denying allegations that Instagram was intentionally engineered to be addictive for young users. The testimony marked his first court appearance in a case centered on child safety concerns tied to social media platforms.

During extended and at times confrontational questioning, Zuckerberg defended Meta against claims that its products cause harm to minors. When asked whether the company seeks to foster addiction among users, he responded: “I’m focused on building a community that is sustainable.”

The lawsuit, part of a broader legal action, argues that companies operating Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat deliberately designed features to increase user dependency, allegedly contributing to negative mental health outcomes among youth.

Addressing those accusations, Zuckerberg stated: “If you do something that’s not good for people, maybe they’ll spend more time (on Instagram) short term, but if they’re not happy with it, they’re not going to use it over time. I’m not trying to maximize the amount of time people spend every month," according to reports.

This proceeding represents the first trial within a consolidated set of lawsuits brought by more than 1,600 plaintiffs, including upwards of 350 families and over 250 school districts. While TikTok and Snap reached a settlement with the initial plaintiff—a 20-year-old woman identified as K.G.M.—both firms continue to face additional cases scheduled to move forward later this year.

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