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Instagram\u2019s CEO disputed allegations by US prosecutors that his company hid negative information from the public while testifying during a blockbuster social media trial.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am not trying to encourage my team to hide anything,\u201d the CEO, Adam Mosseri, told a California courtroom on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Mosseri is the first top executive from Meta, which owns both Instagram and Facebook, to testify in a historic lawsuit brought by 29 US states. His testimony began toward the end of the day on Tuesday and is slated to continue on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
When the executive was posed with multiple questions about not disclosing low user numbers for Instagram\u2019s features geared toward teen safety, he brushed them aside, saying: \u201cWe don\u2019t publish every single stat.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jason Slothouber, a prosecutor for the state of Colorado, asked specifically about a tool called Take a Break, meant to encourage teens to close Instagram if they\u2019d been scrolling for a while. Slothouber pointed out that just 1.8% of teens signed up for the feature, and that while Mosseri had touted the tool, he never publicly disclosed that number.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve definitely said publicly that the opt-in rates are low,\u201d Mosseri responded. \u201cI don\u2019t know if I\u2019ve said numbers.\u201d<\/p>\n
The jury trial, taking place in federal court in Oakland, California, began with opening statements last week. The lawsuit centers on the states\u2019 allegations that Meta deliberately designed addictive products that hooked young people, leading to mental health issues, including anxiety, depression and suicide. The states additionally claim the social media company regularly collected data on children under the age of 13 without parental permission in violation of federal and state laws.<\/p>\n
If found liable, Meta could be forced to pay damages as high as $200bn and change the design of its products to make them safer for kids. Legal experts say the outcome of this trial could fundamentally change the way social media apps function for young people.<\/p>\n
Meta has denied all allegations, saying the states are chasing an \u201coutlandish payout\u201d. A spokesperson said Tuesday that Meta\u2019s safety teams strive to be industry-leading and that Mosseri\u2019s testimony showed the company does research to find ways to improve user experience.<\/p>\n
Mosseri became the head of Instagram in 2018 and over the years has faced scrutiny about whether he may have dismissed internal warnings about the platform\u2019s addictive design and negative effects on young people. He was called to testify before a Senate committee in December 2021 and as a witness in other trials about the alleged harm of social media to children.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, Slothouber asked Mosseri about a blog post he had published just one day before his Senate testimony. The post was titled \u201craising the standard for protecting teens and supporting parents online\u201d and included the announcement of the Take a Break tool. Slothouber questioned Mosseri about the timing of his post.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had made progress, and we wanted to get the progress out, so we could talk about the progress,\u201d Mosseri responded.<\/p>\n
Slothouber then asked the CEO whether he was aware of the phrase \u201cdrumbeat messaging\u201d, the idea of saying something repeatedly until it\u2019s drummed into people\u2019s heads. Mosseri said he had and that it\u2019s necessary when dealing with parents and safety features. \u201cWe need to repeat it to raise awareness of those tools,\u201d Mosseri testified.<\/p>\n
Over the last week, jurors also heard from Arturo B\u00e9jar, a former Meta safety engineer turned whistleblower, who testified that the company has a \u201cdon\u2019t ask, don\u2019t tell\u201d strategy when it comes to the safety of children on its platforms. They also heard from a psychologist and other former and current company employees.<\/p>\n
The trial is expected to last through September with several other witnesses, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.<\/p>\n