Instagram CEO denies downplaying child safety risks in court testimony

Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri has denied allegations that the platform encouraged employees to downplay risks to children or that a company policy existed to withhold negative information from the public. Mosseri testified Tuesday in a lawsuit that accuses Meta, Instagram's parent company, of designing Instagram and Facebook to make children addicted without adequate consideration for their safety.

Since taking over Instagram in 2018, Mosseri is a key witness in the case brought by 29 U.S. states, which legal experts have called the most significant legal test to date of social media's impact on young users. Four states, California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey, allege that Meta designed its platforms to foster addiction in young users, contributing to anxiety, depression, and even suicide. The states also claim the company misled consumers about the platforms' safety.

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It is important for the public that all information from Instagram about children's safety is of high quality and backed by experts.

Furthermore, all 29 states contend that Meta violated U.S. federal law by collecting and using personal data from children under 13. During the trial, attorney Jason Slothouber, representing Colorado, asserted that Mosseri was aware of an alleged Meta policy where its lawyers would review internal presentations and remove information or otherwise shield Mosseri from learning about problems. Mosseri rejected this claim, emphasizing the importance of high-quality, expert-backed information on child safety from Instagram.

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I am not trying to encourage my team to hide anything. I want to understand how things work. I cannot think of any time where I have asked people to give me less information.