Zuckerberg Says Facebook and Instagram Were Not Built to Be Addictive in Social Media Lawsuit
Jurors in a key New Mexico courtroom were shown a recorded deposition from Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive of Meta Platforms, as part of an ongoing civil trial examining how social media affects children.
Mark Zuckerberg disputes claims that Facebook and Instagram are addictive during a New Mexico trial examining Meta’s knowledge of risks tied to youth safety.
The video testimony, captured last year before trial proceedings began, explored internal research and discussions within the company behind Facebook and Instagram. Prosecutors questioned what company leaders understood about negative experiences among young users and how the organization responded.
David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The lawsuit was brought by Raúl Torrez, the attorney general of New Mexico, who argues that Meta violated consumer protection laws. According to the state, the company failed to fully reveal information about potential social media addiction and the risk of child sexual exploitation occurring on its platforms.
Lawyers representing Meta maintain that the company openly communicates possible risks and works to remove harmful content. They acknowledged that despite safeguards, some troubling material can still appear.
During questioning, prosecutors referenced internal messages and user feedback dating back to the early days of Facebook in 2008. Those communications described patterns of heavy use that some users labeled “problematic” or addictive.
Prosecutor Previn Warren confronted Zuckerberg with those records, noting that users had repeatedly raised concerns about addictive behavior tied to Meta’s services. He asked whether it was true that people had frequently described the platforms that way.
Zuckerberg objected to the characterization.
He explained that the term “addictive” is often used informally by people, but said it does not accurately describe how the products are intended to function. According to him, creating addictive experiences has never been the objective behind the platforms.
At the same time, he said the company continues studying how people use its services in order to refine them.
Zuckerberg also acknowledged that earlier business strategies placed importance on how long users spent on the platforms. Increasing user engagement time, including among teenagers, had been one of the primary goals for employees during efforts to expand revenue and grow the user base.
He noted that around 2017 the company began emphasizing different performance measurements instead of time spent.
The deposition also addressed a previous decision regarding visual filters on Instagram that altered users’ appearances in ways critics said promoted cosmetic surgery. Zuckerberg had lifted a temporary restriction on those filters.
He said he did not want to restrict self-expression unnecessarily and that he was unconvinced by anecdotal examples claiming the filters would clearly cause harm.
The recorded testimony was played during the fourth week of the trial. While Meta bans children younger than 13 from using its platforms, some minors are still able to create accounts.
Earlier in the week, jurors watched video testimony from Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram. Prosecutors questioned him about safety practices, corporate profits, and features that could allow unwanted contact between adult users and minors.
The New Mexico case — along with another legal proceeding involving Meta in Los Angeles — could influence thousands of similar lawsuits filed against social media companies.
Zuckerberg also testified in the Los Angeles case last month regarding young people’s use of Instagram. He has previously faced questions from United States Congress concerning youth safety across Meta’s platforms.
During congressional testimony in 2024, Zuckerberg addressed families who believe social media contributed to tragedies in their lives. While he expressed sympathy and apologized for what they had experienced, he did not accept direct responsibility for those events.
