Instagram head Mosseri, at children’s addiction trial, says few teenagers knew of safety feature
The top executive at Instagram said few teenagers used a key safety feature to limit their use before it was turned on by default, at a trial over whether Meta Platforms designed Instagram and Facebook to addict children.
Adam Mosseri, Instagram's head since 2018, testified at a federal court trial in Oakland, California, denying that the platform intentionally designed Instagram and Facebook to addict children. Mosseri acknowledged that few teenagers were using the "Take a Break" safety feature before it became the default setting, estimating that only a small percentage were aware of and utilizing it.
The "Take a Break" feature encourages users to close Instagram after a set period, aiming to limit screen time. However, Mosseri admitted that most teenagers did not want this limitation and the company pushed forward with making it mandatory anyway. The lawsuit by 29 U.S. states accuses Meta of designing the platforms to addict young users, leading to mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and even suicide.
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