Instagram chief testifies at Meta trial, says few teens used safety feature

What the report says

Instagram chief Adam Mosseri testified this week in a landmark Meta trial in Oakland, California, as the company faces claims from 29 US states that Facebook and Instagram were designed to keep young users engaged despite mental health concerns. The hearing, which entered its second week on Tuesday, centers on allegations that Meta misled the public about safety and improperly collected data from children under 13. The states are seeking about $200bn in damages.

Mosseri, who has led Instagram since 2018, said the company made the “Take a Break” feature the default for teenagers only in September 2024, after it had been available for nearly three years. He acknowledged that only a small share of teens had used the feature before that change, and said Meta had not disclosed the low adoption rate. He also said the company later introduced Teen Accounts with safety controls turned on by default.

The testimony adds to a wider dispute over whether Meta’s tools meaningfully limited screen time or were too hard to find and too weak to matter. Former Meta employees have said similar features were not widely used, while Meta has denied that it tried to addict children and argues its internal research did not show a clear connection between social media use and reduced wellbeing.

The trial is expected to last about six weeks. Jurors will issue an advisory verdict, after which US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers will decide liability and any penalties or required changes to Meta’s platforms.