meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg pushed back against the idea that social media companies have made it a company goal to increase time spent on Instagram.
In a 2015 email thread, Zuckerberg appeared to emphasize that improving engagement metrics was an imperative for the company.
Mr. Zuckerberg said that while the emails may have included the words “company goals,” the comments may have been aspirational, arguing that Meta has no such goals.
Lawyers then presented evidence from Instagram boss Adam Mosseri, which included a goal to aggressively increase users’ daily engagement on the platform to 40 minutes in 2023 and 46 minutes in 2026.
Zuckerberg said the company uses milestones internally to measure how it compares to competitors and “deliver the results we expect.” He argued that the company is building services that help people connect.
The comments came during testimony in a landmark social media and safety trial that has been likened to the industry’s “Big Tobacco” moment.
The trial, which began in late January, centers on a young woman who claims she became addicted to social media and video streaming apps such as Instagram. YouTube.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg appears in Los Angeles Superior Court on February 18, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
Jill Connelly | Getty Images
During Wednesday’s trial, a judge threatened to detain anyone using AI smart glasses during the trial. meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s contempt of court testimony.
“If you have done that, you must remove it or you will be held in contempt of court,” the judge said. “This is very serious.”
Members of the team escorting Mr Zuckerberg into the building were photographed wearing Meta Ray-Ban artificial intelligence glasses.
Recording inside the courtroom is prohibited.
Zuckerberg said in his testimony that some users lie about their age when signing up for Instagram, which requires users to be at least 13 years old.
The lawyer shared a document stating that 4 million children under the age of 13 use the platform in the United States.
Facebook’s founder said the company is removing all identified underage users and including terms regarding the use of age during the sign-up process.
A lawyer for the plaintiffs questioned, “Are we expecting a 9-year-old to read all the fine print?” “Is that the basis for swearing that children under 13 are not allowed?”
It wasn’t until the end of 2019 that the company started asking for birthdays during sign-up.
Meta CEO and Chairman Mark Zuckerberg arrives in Los Angeles Superior Court on February 18, 2026, in Los Angeles, ahead of a social media trial that will determine whether the social media giant intentionally designed its platform to be addictive to children.
Frederick J. Brown | AFP | Getty Images
Lawyers also questioned whether Mr. Zuckerberg had previously lied in court Wednesday about the board’s inability to fire him.
“If the board wants to fire me, they can elect a new director and reinstate me,” he said, responding to remarks he previously made on Joe Rogan’s podcast.
During an interview with a podcaster last year, Zuckerberg said he wasn’t worried about losing his job because he has the right to vote.
Zuckerger said he is “very bad” with the media.
The CEO appeared in Los Angeles Superior Court just before noon ET on Wednesday.
Meta CEO and Chairman Mark Zuckerberg arrives in Los Angeles Superior Court on February 18, 2026, in Los Angeles, ahead of a social media trial that will determine whether the social media giant intentionally designed its platform to be addictive to children.
Patrick T. Fallon | AFP | Getty Images
Lawyers for the plaintiffs claim that Meta, YouTube, TikTok and Snap misled the public about the safety of their services and knew that the design of their apps and certain features caused mental health harm to young users.
Snap and TikTok settled with the plaintiffs involved in the lawsuit before the trial began.
Mehta has denied the allegations, and a spokesperson told CNBC in a statement: “The question for the Los Angeles jury is whether Instagram was a significant contributing factor to the plaintiff’s mental health issues.”
Instagram’s Mr. Mosseri testified last week that he believes there may be a problem with social media usage, but that he does not believe it is the same as a clinical addiction.
“Personally, I think you can use Instagram more than you think,” Mosseri said. “Too much is relative and personal.”
The Los Angeles trial is one of several major trials taking place this year and has been described by experts as a “Big Tobacco” moment for the social media industry. The reason for this is the alleged damage caused by the company’s products and related companies’ attempts to deceive the public.
Meta is also involved in a major trial in New Mexico. The state’s attorney general, Raul Torrez, accused social media giants of failing to protect children and young users from online criminals.
“What we’re really alleging is that Meta has developed a dangerous product, a product that not only targets children, but enables the exploitation of children in the virtual and real world,” Torrez said on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” last week as opening arguments in the case began.
A new social media exam is scheduled to begin this summer in the Northern District of California. The case also involves companies such as Meta and YouTube, alleging that their apps contained flaws that caused harmful mental health problems in young users.
Video: New Mexico AG Raul Torres talks about lawsuit against meth
