Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Court Docs Show Instagram Tracked Rising Use, Prioritized Teens in L.A. Jury Trial

The Los Angeles bellwether asks jurors to weigh design-based liability for youth mental-health harms.

Overview

  • Documentation disclosed during Mark Zuckerberg’s February testimony shows executives tracked time‑spent “milestones,” with average daily use rising from 40 minutes in 2023 to 46 minutes in 2026.
  • Plaintiffs highlighted internal emails stating goals like “total teen time spent” and noting teens as a top company priority in 2017, with tweens flagged as the highest‑retention U.S. age group in 2018.
  • Records presented in court indicated Instagram knew of roughly 4 million under‑13 users in 2015, as the company said underage accounts were removed when found.
  • The 19‑year‑old plaintiff alleges early social‑media use fueled addiction, depression and suicidal thoughts, while Meta argues other preexisting challenges explain her mental‑health struggles.
  • Lawyers dispute when age checks were implemented, with plaintiffs pointing to a broad 2021 birthday prompt for existing users and Meta saying new sign‑ups were asked for ages starting in 2019; the trial continues with Meta and YouTube executives testifying after Snap and TikTok settled.