Zuckerberg Says Users Falsify Ages on Instagram

Mark Zuckerberg testified Wednesday before the Los Angeles County Superior Court in a high-profile case centered on social media safety, acknowledging that a significant number of users misrepresent their ages when registering for Instagram.

Zuckerberg’s remarks came in response to questions about prior documents submitted to Congress indicating that roughly four million children under the age of 13 were using Instagram in the United States.

He told the court that the company removes accounts identified as belonging to underage users and that its terms of service clearly outline age restrictions.

A lawyer for the plaintiffs challenged that defense, asking: “Do you expect a 9-year-old child to read the fine print?”

Zuckerberg also faced questions about previous comments made during a podcast interview with Joe Rogan, in which he said he was not concerned about losing his position because of his voting control over the company.

In court, Zuckerberg stated: “If the board wanted to remove me, I could elect a new board and reappoint myself.” He also conceded that he is “very bad” at dealing with the media.

The trial, which began in late January, stems from a lawsuit filed by a young woman who said she became addicted to social media platforms including Instagram and YouTube.

Plaintiffs’ attorneys allege that companies such as Meta Platforms, YouTube, TikTok and Snap Inc. misled the public about the safety of their services despite knowing that app design features could cause psychological harm to younger users. TikTok and Snap reached settlements before the trial began.

Last week, Instagram chief executive Adam Mosseri said excessive social media use can be problematic but does not necessarily amount to clinical addiction. “It’s personal, some people may use Instagram more than they feel comfortable with,” he said.

Meta is also facing trial in New Mexico, where Attorney General Raul Torrez has accused the company of failing to adequately protect children from online exploitation.

Another trial is expected to begin this summer in Northern California against Meta and YouTube over allegations that their platforms contributed to mental health problems among young users.