In a lawsuit over the effects of social media on mental health, Mark Zuckerberg’s defense includes that he tried to discuss the issue with Tim Cook, who apparently doesn’t run the social media platform.
The trial process partly addresses the issue of age verification, which Meta previously tried to avoid by saying that Apple and Google should deal with it rather than any app. This is a specific case brought to court in Los Angeles by a 19-year-old girl who claims that social media led her to self-harm and suicidal thoughts.
However, it is considered a test case with much wider implications. The unnamed teenager and her mother originally sued Meta, YouTube, Snap and TikTok, though the latter two settled out of court.
According to CNBCZuckerberg’s latest comments come as Meta’s defense team presented evidence that the CEO is proactive in protecting young Instagram users. Zuckerberg said he emailed Tim Cook in February 2018 to discuss “adolescent and child welfare”.
“I thought there were opportunities that our company and Apple could take advantage of, and I wanted to talk to Tim about it,” he continued.
So far, there doesn’t appear to be any mention of whether the discussion took place afterwards. Although in March 2018, Cook publicly disagreed with Meta’s approach to privacy.
Although it was later denied, at the time Zuckerberg was so “furious” with Cook that he ordered employees to switch from iPhone to Android.
Apple’s email is instead being touted as one example of how Zuckerberg caters to young users. It follows Meta’s previous attempts to blame Apple for related problems.
Age limits
Another example of care raised in the last court hearing is that Instagram requires users to be over 13 years old. Zuckerberg said the service makes that clear at sign-up, though he acknowledged younger kids are accessing Instagram.
“You expect a nine-year-old to read all the fine print,” one of the plaintiff’s lawyers asked. “That’s your basis for swearing no kids under 13?”
Zuckerberg was also specifically asked about studies that say social media affects mental health. He responded that Meta consulted with unnamed stakeholders about Instagram’s beauty filters and discussed the issue with its team.
However, the plaintiff’s lawyer presented reports that showed Zuckerberg lifted the ban on cosmetic filters because it was “paternalistic.”
“It sounds like something I would say and something I feel,” Zuckerberg said. “It seems a little arrogant to me.
“I really want to be wrong about giving people a chance to express themselves,” he continued.
The trial is expected to last until March 2026. During this latest session, Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl also said she would hold anyone using the Meta glasses to record proceedings in contempt of court.