Instagram tracked growing usage while targeting teens, lawyers argue

In a recent court case, Instagram’s tracking of user engagement, particularly among teens, has come under scrutiny. Evidence presented during CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s testimony revealed that the average daily time spent on the app climbed from 40 minutes in 2023 to 46 minutes in 2026. This increase in usage is a central point of contention in the ongoing trial, K.G.M. v. Platforms et al., being heard in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The lawsuit seeks to determine whether social media platforms, including Instagram, bear responsibility for mental health issues among young users, particularly with regards to their addictive designs. While companies like Snap and TikTok have settled prior to the trial, Meta and YouTube have opted to contest the claims, with their executives expected to provide testimony. The case centers around a 19-year-old plaintiff, referred to as K.G.M., who asserts that her early exposure to social media led to detrimental effects on her mental health, including addiction and depression with suicidal thoughts. In response, Meta has denied any responsibility, asserting that K.G.M. faced numerous challenges unrelated to her social media use. A Meta spokesperson emphasized, “The jury’s task is to determine if Instagram significantly contributed to the plaintiff's mental health issues. We believe the evidence will show she encountered many difficulties long before engaging with social media.” Plaintiffs' attorneys aim to demonstrate that Meta intentionally encouraged increased usage among minors, despite being aware that younger users were active on the platform. During his testimony, Zuckerberg faced questioning about his previous statements to Congress, which claimed that children under 13 were prohibited from using Instagram. However, internal documents revealed that the company had identified around 4 million users under that age as early as 2015, making up 30% of all U.S. 10-12-year-olds. Zuckerberg defended his congressional testimony, stating that Instagram had policies in place to remove underage users and clarified that the “milestones” tracked by the company did not equate to specific objectives set for the team. Yet, other evidence presented indicated a keen interest in attracting younger users, with emails from a former product manager suggesting that the company’s overarching goal was to maximize teen engagement. Despite acknowledging the presence of underage users, Instagram reportedly did not implement measures to verify user ages until August 2021, when it began requiring birth dates for account creation. Although the platform has since introduced several protections and parental controls for teens, its ambition to be the leading app for youth engagement remains evident, with internal documents hinting at a goal of becoming the top destination for teens by monthly active users this year. If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide or in need of support, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling or texting 988.