Instagram executives set goals to increase teen time spent on the platform despite knowing of millions of underage users, according to testimony in a Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit. The company tracked daily usage metrics that grew from 40 minutes per day in 2023 to 46 minutes per day in 2026.
The case, K.G.M. v. Platforms et al., will determine whether social media companies are liable for youth mental health issues caused by their platforms or their addictive designs. Snap and TikTok settled before the trial began, while executives from Meta and YouTube are providing testimony. The plaintiff, 19-year-old K.G.M., alleges that using social media at a young age led to addiction, depression, and suicidal thoughts.
Meta spokesperson Stephanie Otway stated that the evidence will show the plaintiff faced significant challenges before using social media. “The question for the jury in Los Angeles is whether Instagram was a substantial factor in the plaintiff’s mental health struggles,” Otway said in an emailed statement.
Internal documents revealed that Instagram knew of approximately 4 million children under 13 on the app in 2015. This figure represented 30% of all U.S. 10- to 12-year-olds. Zuckerberg testified that he answered Congress honestly by stating the company’s policy and noted that Instagram removed underage users it found.
Emails from a former product manager stated the company’s goal was “total teen time spent.” The emails also noted that Mark Zuckerberg designated teens as the top priority for the first half of 2017. A December 2018 market landscape found that tweens were the “highest retention age group” in the U.S.
Nick Clegg, a former Zuckerberg adviser, wrote that Instagram’s age requirements were “unenforceable.” Instagram began requiring users to enter birthdays in August 2021. Meta stated it began asking for ages at sign-up for new users in 2019.
Meta’s current goal is for Instagram to be the largest teen destination by monthly active users in the U.S. and globally this year. The lawsuit continues in Los Angeles Superior Court.
K.G.M. v. Platforms et al. is a civil case seeking damages for youth mental health impacts. Snap and TikTok are no longer defendants following pre-trial settlements. Mark Zuckerberg previously appeared in a trial focused on Meta’s VR technology.
