Mark Zuckerberg testifies in social media addiction trial that Meta just wants Instagram to be 'useful'

"Mark Zuckerberg took the stand Wednesday in a high-profile jury trial over social media addiction. In an appearance that was described by NBC News as "combative," the Facebook founder reportedly said that Meta's goal was to make Instagram "useful" not increase the time users are spending in the app. On the stand, Zuckerberg was questioned about a company document that said improving engagement was among "company goals," according to."

"But Zuckerberg claimed that the company had "made the conscious decision to move away from those goals, focusing instead on utility," according to The Associated Press. "If something is valuable, people will use it more because it's useful to them," he said. The trial stems from a lawsuit brought by a California woman identified as "KGM" in court documents. The now 20-year-old alleges that she was harmed as a child by addictive features in Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and TikTok."

"Zuckerberg was also asked about previous public statements, including his remarks on Joe Rogan's podcast last year that he can't be fired by Meta's board because he controls a majority of the voting power. According to The New York Times, Zuckerberg accused the plaintiffs' lawyer of "mischaracterizing" his past comments more than a dozen times. Zuckerberg's appearance in court also apparently prompted the judge to warn people in the courtroom not to record the proceedings using AI glasses."

Mark Zuckerberg testified in a jury trial over alleged social media addiction, saying Meta's goal was to make Instagram useful rather than increase user time. He was questioned about an internal document that listed improving engagement among company goals; he said the company had made a conscious decision to move away from those goals and focus on utility. The lawsuit was brought by a California woman identified as "KGM," who alleges she was harmed as a child by addictive features on Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and TikTok. TikTok and Snap settled before trial. The judge warned against recording proceedings with AI glasses after members of Zuckerberg's entourage were seen wearing Meta smart glasses.

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