Meta trial: Instagram CEO says few teens used ‘Take a Break’ safety feature

Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri for the first time since the beginning of Meta trial vs 29 US states made the appearance in the court and countered the US prosecutors’ allegations regarding the company’s intention to hide negative information.

In the California courtroom on Tuesday, the CEO not only defended Meta but also clarified his position, stating, “I am not trying to encourage my team to hide anything.”

When asked about the teenagers’ understanding of using Meta’s safety feature, Mosseri testified that fewer than 5 percent of teenagers used the “Take a Break” limit feature before it was made the default setting in September 2024.

Mosseri defended waiting nearly three years to make it mandatory, stating that "most teens didn't want it."

Instagram Director of Product Design Francesco Fogu acknowledged that data was removed from a specific presentation slide showing teens were constantly exposed to more harmful content than adults, though the statistics appeared elsewhere in the presentation.

Last week, a former Meta safety engineer turned whistleblower also testified in the court, alleging that the tech company has always pursued a "don' t ask and don’t tell” approach when it comes to protecting children from harmful content.

However, Meta spokesperson denied all these allegations, claiming no internal research proves a link between the use of social media and lack of well-being. He said, “states are chasing an outlandish payout.”

Speaking about safety, he said Meta always strives to be industry-leading in safety and the head of Instagram’s testimony showed that company’s commitment to improve user experience through research.

In this trail, the states accused Meta of harming teens through designing addictive features and collecting information illegally.

Meta vs 29 US states trial is expected to continue until September with several other witnesses, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.