Instagram head testifies in Meta child safety trial

Instagram head Adam Mosseri defended the platform's safety record in federal court on Tuesday, testifying in a major trial where four states accuse Meta of deliberately designing its apps to addict children and fueling a youth mental health crisis. The trial, which began the week of August 18 in Oakland, California, pits Meta against California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey. The states allege the company knowingly created features that hook young users and misled consumers about the risks. Under questioning from Colorado prosecutor Jason Slothouber, Mosseri addressed the low adoption rate of Instagram's "Take a Break" feature, which prompts users to step away after prolonged scrolling. An internal document showed that at one point, only 1.8% of teens used the feature. Mosseri acknowledged the initial uptake was lower than hoped but said the company later made it the default setting for all teen accounts in late 2024, rendering the early criticism "entirely moot." However, Slothouber noted this change came after the states had already filed their lawsuit in 2023.