Apps no longer made to maximise screentime: Zuckerberg

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has pushed back in court against a lawyer’s claim that he misled the US Congress about the design of social media platforms, as a landmark case over teenagers’ social media addiction continues.

Zuckerberg was questioned about his statements to Congress in 2024, in which he said the company did not give its teams the goal of maximizing time spent on its apps.

Mark Lanier, an attorney for a woman who accused Meta of damaging her mental health during her childhood, showed jurors emails from 2014 and 2015 in which Zuckerberg aimed to increase time spent on the app by double-digit percentage points.

Zuckerberg said Meta previously had goals regarding the time users spent on the app, but has since changed its approach.

“If you’re trying to say my statement is not true, I totally disagree,” Zuckerberg said.

During his questioning, Lanier laid out three options people can make regarding vulnerable people: help them, ignore them, or “hunt them down and use them for our own purposes.”

Zuckerberg stated that he agreed that the last option was not what a reasonable company should do, and said, “I think a reasonable company should try to help the people who use their services.”

When asked about his compensation, Zuckerberg said he had promised to donate “almost all” of his money to charities focused on scientific research.

Lanier asked how much money he had promised victims affected by social media, and Zuckerberg replied, “I disagree with the characterization of your question.”

Lanier also asked Zuckerberg about what he described as extensive media training, including his statements in court.

Lanier pointed to an internal document about feedback on Zuckerberg’s tone of voice on his own social media, imploring him to come across as “authentic, direct, human, empathetic and real” and instructing him to “not try too hard, not be fake, robotic, corporate or cheesy” in his communication.

Zuckerberg rejected the idea that he was given training on how to answer questions or present himself, saying those giving advice were “just giving feedback.”

Regarding his media appearances and public speaking, Zuckerberg said, “I think I’m known for being kind of bad at it.”

The billionaire Facebook founder’s appearance at a jury trial in Los Angeles, California, on Wednesday local time was the first time he has testified in court about Instagram’s impact on young users’ mental health.

Meta could have to pay damages if it loses the case, and the ruling could erode Big Tech’s long-standing legal defense against claims of user harm.

The lawsuit and similar cases are part of a global backlash against social media platforms regarding children’s mental health.

Australia has banned users under 16 from accessing social media platforms, and other countries, including Spain, are considering similar restrictions.

The case involves a California woman who started using Meta’s Instagram and Google’s YouTube as a child.

He claims companies are trying to make a profit by attracting children to their services, even though they know social media can harm their mental health.

He claims the apps fueled his depression and suicidal thoughts and is trying to hold companies accountable.

Meta and Google denied the allegations and noted that they were working to add features that would keep users safe.

Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, stated last week that he was unaware of a recent Meta study that showed no connection between parental control and teens’ attention to their own social media use.

Meta’s attorney told jurors at the trial that the woman’s medical records showed her problems stemmed from a troubled childhood and that social media was a creative outlet for her.

with AP