Instagram CEO denies hiding data on platform’s impact on teens

Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri rejected allegations from US prosecutors that the company withheld damaging information from the public, as he took the stand in a major federal trial over social media's impact on young people.

"I am not trying to encourage my team to hide anything," the CEO, Adam Mosseri, told a California courtroom on Tuesday, according to The Guardian.

Prosecutor Jason Slothouber questioned Mosseri about Instagram's "Take a Break" feature, introduced to encourage teenagers to step away from the platform after long periods of scrolling. Slothouber pointed out that only 1.8% of teens had signed up, while Mosseri publicly promoted it without disclosing that figure.

"I've definitely said publicly that the opt-in rates are low," Mosseri responded. "I don't know if I've said numbers."

The testimony came during a federal jury trial in Oakland, California, where US states accuse Meta of deliberately designing addictive products that harmed young people's mental health and contributed to anxiety, depression and suicide. The states also allege that Meta collected information from children under 13 without parental consent, violating federal and state laws.

If Meta is found liable, the company could face up to $200 billion in damages and be ordered to change its products to strengthen protections for children. Meta has denied the allegations and called the states' potential damages claim an "outlandish payout."

Mosseri, who has led Instagram since 2018, has faced repeated scrutiny over the platform's effect on teenagers. On Tuesday, Slothouber questioned him about a blog post published a day before Mosseri's 2021 Senate testimony announcing the Take a Break feature. Mosseri said the company wanted to show the public it was making progress on safety.

The prosecutor also asked Mosseri about "drumbeat messaging," a strategy of repeatedly communicating the same idea to build awareness. Mosseri defended the approach, saying safety tools needed to be repeatedly highlighted to parents.

"We need to repeat it to raise awareness of those tools."

The jury has also heard from former Meta safety engineer and whistleblower Arturo Bejar, who accused the company of following a "don't ask, don't tell" approach to child safety. Psychologists and other former employees have also testified.

The trial is expected to continue through September, with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg among those scheduled to testify.