Instagram head Adam Mosseri begins testimony at Meta child social media addiction trial

Adam Mosseri, Instagram's head since 2018, began his testimony on Tuesday in a federal trial accusing Meta Platforms of designing Instagram and Facebook to addict children without considering their safety. The case, brought by 29 U.S. states, alleges Meta improperly collected and used personal data of children under 13 while they used its platforms, violating federal law.

The lawsuit seeks nearly $200 billion in civil penalties. Instagram's director of product design, Francesco Fogu, testified earlier about a 2023 presentation on teenage safety measures. Fogu acknowledged the removal of data showing that teenage users on Instagram experienced higher levels of bullying, suicide, hate, nudity, and violent content compared to adult users.

He also revealed that Instagram intentionally made its "take a break" feature non-default to reduce usage. Mosseri defended Instagram's design choices, stating the company focuses on the most crucial issues and aims to continuously improve its products and policies. The trial is ongoing and expected to continue through September, with a potential advisory verdict from U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers.