The CEO of Meta, Mark Zuckerberg, provided testimony during a significant trial involving underage Instagram users on Wednesday.
Lawyers representing the plaintiffs rigorously questioned Zuckerberg regarding internal concerns that insufficient measures were being taken to verify the ages of users, particularly those under 13, on the platform.
Zuckerberg stated that Meta had made advancements in recognising underage users, but he also remarked, “I always wish that we could have gotten there sooner.”
Zuckerberg defends Meta
Additionally, Zuckerberg mentioned that some users misrepresent their age when signing up for Instagram, and the company takes action to remove those identified as underage.
The plaintiffs’ lawyers countered these assertions,“You expect a nine-year-old to read all of the fine print? That’s your basis for swearing under oath that children under 13 are not allowed?”
Following persistent inquiries regarding age verification, Zuckerberg stated,“I don’t see why this is so complicated.”
In response to questions posed by the plaintiffs’ attorney, Zuckerberg further commented, “I think a reasonable company should try to help the people that use its services.”
When asked about media training and his well-known awkwardness in public questioning, he replied, “I think I’m actually well-known to be sort of bad at this.”
The Meta CEO was accompanied by individuals wearing Meta Ray-Ban artificial intelligence glasses, and the judge in the courtroom warned that anyone caught recording with these devices would be held in contempt.
Attorneys representing the plaintiffs, who argue that Meta deliberately created its social media platforms such as Instagram to be addictive, interrogated Zuckerberg regarding his awareness of the potential harms that his company’s products could cause to the mental health of young individuals.
