Under oath, Meta's Zuckerberg showed why Big Tech can't police itself

Wednesday was a historical time arsenic Mark Zuckerberg took the basal and faced a assemblage nether oath to reply allegations that Meta knowingly designed and promoted products that hooked young users — including children — contempt interior warnings astir the risks, marking the archetypal clip helium has testified earlier a assemblage successful specified a case.

While Zuckerberg’s grounds was often characterized by sidestepping and dodging questions — to the constituent that the justice instructed him to reply straight — helium can’t deflect his mode retired of this one. The grounds successful this societal media proceedings speaks for itself.

The plaintiff’s attorney, Mark Lanier, focused connected 3 cardinal themes successful his questioning: 1) addicting users; 2) allowing underage users entree to the platform; and 3) making concern decisions that enactment profits implicit safety.

Zuckerberg was presented with a 2015 email successful which the CEO stated his extremity for 2016 was to summation users’ clip spent connected the level by 12%. Zuckerberg argued that Meta’s maturation targets bespeak an purpose to springiness users thing useful, not to addict them, and stated that the institution does not question to pull children arsenic users.

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When asked whether helium believes radical thin to usage thing much if it’s addictive, helium dismissed the premise. "I don’t deliberation that applies here," helium said.

But it perfectly does apply. Meta’s full concern exemplary is built connected idiosyncratic engagement. Social media appears "free," but a child’s time, attraction and information are the merchandise being sold. More hours with eyes glued to the surface mean much advertisements to sell. The idiosyncratic is the product. The inducement is to support users engaged arsenic overmuch arsenic possible.

As confirmed earlier successful the proceedings by addiction adept Dr. Anna Lembke of Stanford University, societal media meets the objective criteria for addiction, according to her adept testimony.

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Lanier besides questioned Zuckerberg extensively connected Meta’s age-verification policies. He showed an interior Meta email from 2015 estimating that 4 cardinal children nether 13 were utilizing Instagram — astir 30% of U.S. children ages 10 to 12. One successful 3 preteens.

Zuckerberg said the institution removes identified underage users and includes presumption astir property requirements during the sign-up process. Lanier responded, "You expect a 9-year-old to work each of the good print? That’s your ground for swearing nether oath that children nether 13 are not allowed?"

Zuckerberg added that immoderate children "lie astir their property successful bid to usage the services." During this exchange, helium besides said, "I don’t spot wherefore this is truthful analyzable ... we person rules, and radical broadly recognize that."

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Waving his manus and saying "we person rules" is not an capable defense. These are minors. It is the company’s work to guarantee the level is efficaciously age-gated; otherwise, its stated property argumentation is meaningless.

In practice, property verification connected astir societal media platforms relies mostly connected self-reported birthdates. A kid tin participate a mendacious age, click to judge the presumption and conditions and summation entree wrong minutes. Critics reason that without meaningful safeguards, property restrictions magnitude to small much than an grant system.

Age of entree is simply a cardinal contented successful this trial. The plaintiff, K.G.M., who got connected Instagram astatine property 9, alleges that her societal media usage arsenic a kid and teen led to assemblage dysmorphia, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, addiction and depression. Her property erstwhile she began utilizing the app — during a play of important encephalon improvement betwixt ages 10 and 12 — is cardinal to the harms she alleges.

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Instagram should ne'er person allowed her connected the level astatine property 9, the plaintiff argues. Whether the assemblage yet agrees remains to beryllium seen, but the lawsuit places work for those decisions squarely connected Meta’s leadership.

Lanier ended his questioning by unrolling — with the assistance of six others — a 50-foot collage of each selfie K.G.M. had posted connected Instagram, galore with quality filters. He asked Zuckerberg whether Meta ever investigated her relationship for unhealthy behavior. Zuckerberg did not answer.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on the stand in Los Angeles Superior Court successful Los Angeles, California, U.S., February 18, 2026. Zuckerberg is facing a assemblage successful the landmark proceedings alleging societal media platforms deliberately addict and harm children. (Mona Edwards)

Earlier, Lanier pressed Zuckerberg astir his determination to let quality filters that mimicked integrative country aft 18 interior experts warned they were harmful to teenage girls and could lend to assemblage dysmorphia, according to interior documents. Zuckerberg and Adam Mosseri, caput of Instagram, yet reversed a impermanent prohibition and allowed the filters connected the platform. Plaintiffs contend that determination exposed susceptible young users to tools linked to assemblage dysmorphia and different intelligence wellness struggles.

Zuckerberg defended the determination by saying that aft lifting the ban, Instagram did not make its ain filters oregon urge them to users. He added, "I deliberation oftentimes telling radical that they can’t explicit themselves similar that is overbearing."

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What a spin. Removing integrative country filters that harm young girls is, successful his words, "overbearing." Many parents would telephone it putting tenable safeguards successful place.

While Zuckerberg has publically said Meta cares astir children’s information — telling Congress successful 2024 that "Our occupation is to marque definite that we physique tools to assistance support radical safe" and that "We are connected the broadside of parents everyplace moving hard to rise their kids" — the interior grounds presented astatine proceedings suggests otherwise.

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Though helium would not admit successful tribunal that helium knew his products were addictive oregon targeted teens, helium didn’t request to. The assemblage — and the nationalist — tin measurement his answers against the interior documents and decide for themselves. 

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