Instagram Usage Among Teens Under Scrutiny in Lawsuit Against Meta

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Instagram's tracking of user engagement, particularly among teenagers, has come under scrutiny in a lawsuit against its parent company, Meta. Documents presented during the testimony of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed that Instagram meticulously monitored the average time users spent on the platform, noting annual increases.

The lawsuit, K.G.M. v. Platforms et al., examines whether social media companies can be held legally responsible for mental health issues in young people, as reported by TechCrunch.

According to the documents, the average daily usage rose from 40 minutes in 2023 to 46 minutes projected for 2026. This data is central to the lawsuit, which accuses the platform of contributing to psychological harm in minors due to its allegedly addictive design.

The plaintiff, identified as 19-year-old K.G.M., claims that her early use of social media led to technology addiction and depression, including suicidal thoughts. Meta denies responsibility, asserting that the plaintiff faced significant challenges before using the platforms.

Lawyers for the plaintiff are working to prove that Meta set internal goals to increase the time users spent on Instagram, despite knowing that millions of minors were on the platform.

During questioning, Zuckerberg was confronted about a statement he made before Congress in 2024, in which he stated that children under 13 were not allowed to use Instagram. However, internal documents showed that the company knew that approximately 4 million children under this age had been on the app since 2015, representing about 30% of children between 10 and 12 in the United States at the time.

Zuckerberg responded that his statement reflected the company's official policy, noting that the platform deleted offending accounts when discovered. He also attempted to distinguish between growth milestones tracked internally and formal goals imposed on work teams.

However, emails presented by the plaintiff's team showed a clear interest in the teen and pre-teen demographic. One email stated: "The company's overall goal is the total time of teens on the platform." Other documents indicated that this group represented the highest user retention rates in the U.S. market.

In another message, Zuckerberg's former advisor, Nick Clegg, acknowledged that Instagram's age requirements were practically unenforceable.

Prior to the trial, Snap and TikTok reached a settlement. Officials from Meta and YouTube are continuing to provide testimony.