Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated in a Wednesday courtroom testimony that he reached out to Apple CEO Tim Prepare dinner to debate the “wellbeing of teenagers and youngsters.”
The feedback got here after the protection lawyer Paul Schmidt pointed to an electronic mail alternate between Zuckerberg and Prepare dinner from February 2018. “I believed there have been alternatives that our firm and Apple could possibly be doing and I needed to speak to Tim about that,” Zuckerberg stated.
The e-mail alternate was a part of a broader portrayal by the protection legal professional to point out jury members that Zuckerberg was extra proactive concerning the security of younger Instagram customers than what was beforehand offered to courtroom by the opposing counsel, going as far as to achieve out to a company rival.
“I care concerning the wellbeing of teenagers and youngsters who’re utilizing our companies,” Zuckerberg stated when characterizing a number of the content material of the e-mail.
Zuckerberg testified throughout a landmark trial in Los Angeles Superior Court docket over the query of social media and security, which is being likened to the trade’s “Massive Tobacco” second.
A part of the trial targeted on the alleged harms of sure digital filters selling the beauty surgical procedure, which Instagram chief Adam Mosseri beforehand testified about earlier within the trial.
Zuckerberg stated that the corporate consulted with numerous stakeholders about the usage of magnificence filters on Instagram, however he didn’t particularly title them. The plaintiff’s lawyer questioned Zuckerberg about messages exhibiting he lifted the ban as a result of it was “paternalistic.”
“It feels like one thing I might say and one thing I really feel,” Zuckerberg replied. “It feels a bit of overbearing.”
Zuckerberg was pressed concerning the choice to permit the function when the corporate had steering from specialists that the wonder filters had adverse results, notably on younger women.
He was particularly requested about one examine by the College of Chicago during which 18 specialists stated that magnificence filters as a function trigger hurt to teenage women.
Zuckerberg, who famous that he believed this was referring to so-called beauty surgical procedure filters, stated he noticed that suggestions and mentioned with the staff, and it got here all the way down to free expression. “I genuinely wish to err on the aspect of giving individuals the flexibility to precise themselves,” Zuckerberg stated.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg arrives at Los Angeles Superior Court docket on Feb. 18, 2026.
Jill Connelly | Getty Photos
Zuckerberg echoed Mosseri’s earlier sentiments shared in courtroom that Meta in the end determined to elevate a short lived ban on the cosmetic surgery digital filters with out selling them to different customers.
Protection legal professional Mark Lanier famous that Fb vp of product design and accountable innovation Margaret Stewart stated in an electronic mail that whereas she would assist Zuckerberg’s final choice, she stated she did not consider it was the “proper name given the dangers.” She talked about in her message that she handled a private household scenario that she acknowledged made her biased, however provides her “first-hand information” of the alleged harms.
Zuckerberg stated that many Meta workers disagree with the corporate’s choices, which is one thing the corporate encourages, and whereas he understood Stewart’s perspective, there was in the end not sufficient causal proof to assist the assertion of harms by the skin specialists.
When Lanier requested if Zuckerberg has a school diploma that may point out experience in causation, the Meta chief stated, “I haven’t got a school diploma in something.”
“I agree i have no idea the authorized understanding of causation, however I feel I’ve a fairly good thought of how statistics work,” Zuckerberg stated.
The trial, which started in late January, facilities on a younger lady who alleged that she turned hooked on social media and video streaming apps like Instagram and YouTube.
The Fb founder pushed again towards the notion that the social media firm made growing time spent on Instagram an organization objective.
Zuckerberg was addressing a 2015 electronic mail thread during which he appeared to spotlight bettering engagement metrics as an pressing matter for the corporate.
Whereas the e-mail chain could have contained the phrases “firm targets,” Zuckerberg stated the feedback might have been an aspiration, and asserted that Meta does not have these targets.
Legal professionals later introduced up proof from Mosseri, which included targets to actively up person day by day engagement time on the platform to 40 minutes in 2023 and to 46 minutes in 2026.
Zuckerberg stated the corporate makes use of milestones internally to measure towards opponents and “ship the outcomes we wish to see.” He asserted that the corporate is constructing companies to assist individuals join.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg arrives at Los Angeles Superior Court docket forward of the social media trial tasked to find out whether or not social media giants intentionally designed their platforms to be addictive to youngsters, in Los Angeles, Feb. 18, 2026.
Frederic J. Brown | AFP | Getty Photos
Legal professionals additionally raised questions over whether or not the corporate has taken enough steps to take away underage customers from its platform.
Zuckerberg stated throughout his testimony that some customers lie about their age when signing up for Instagram, which requires customers to be 13 or older. Legal professionals additionally shared a doc which said that 4 million children underneath 13 used the platform within the U.S.
The Fb founder stated that the corporate removes all underage customers it identifies and consists of phrases about age utilization in the course of the sign-up course of.
“You count on a 9-year-old to learn the entire high-quality print,” a lawyer for the plaintiff questioned. “That is your foundation for swearing underneath oath that youngsters underneath 13 usually are not allowed?”
Instagram didn’t start requiring birthdays at sign-up till late 2019. At a number of instances, Zuckerberg introduced up his perception that age-verification is healthier fitted to firms like Apple and Google, which preserve cellular working methods and app shops.
Zuckerberg later responded to questions on paperwork during which the corporate reported a better retention price on its platform for customers who be part of as tweens. He stated legal professionals have been “mischaracterizing” his phrases and that Meta does not at all times launch merchandise in improvement similar to an Instagram app for customers underneath 13.
Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies at a Los Angeles Superior Court docket trial in a key take a look at case accusing Meta and Google’s YouTube of harming children’ psychological well being via addictive platforms, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., Feb. 18, 2026 in a courtroom sketch.
Mona Edwards | Reuters
Throughout Wednesday’s session, Decide Carolyn B. Kuhl threatened to carry anybody utilizing AI sensible glasses throughout Zuckerberg’s testimony in contempt of courtroom.
“When you’ve got executed that, you should delete that, or you can be held in contempt of the courtroom,” the decide stated. “That is very critical.”
Members of the staff escorting Zuckerberg into the constructing simply earlier than midday ET have been pictured carrying the Meta Ray-Ban synthetic intelligence glasses.
Recording will not be allowed within the courtroom.
Legal professionals additionally questioned whether or not Zuckerberg beforehand lied concerning the board’s incapability to fireplace him.
If the board desires to fireplace me, I might elect a brand new board and reinstate myself,” he stated, in response to remarks he beforehand made on Joe Rogan’s podcast.
Throughout his interview with the podcaster final 12 months, Zuckerberg had stated he wasn’t anxious about dropping his job as a result of he holds voting energy.
Zuckerberg advised the courtroom he’s “very dangerous” at media.
Legal professionals representing the plaintiff contend that Meta, YouTube, TikTok and Snap misled the general public concerning the security of their companies and knew that the design of their apps and sure options brought about psychological well being harms to younger customers.
Snap and TikTok settled with the plaintiff concerned within the case earlier than the trial started.
Meta has denied the allegations and a spokesperson advised CNBC in an announcement that “the query for the jury in Los Angeles is whether or not Instagram was a considerable issue within the plaintiff’s psychological well being struggles.”
Final week, Instagram’s Mosseri testified that whereas he thinks there may be problematic utilization of social media, he does not consider that is the identical as medical dependancy.
Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram at Meta Platforms Inc., arrives at Los Angeles Superior Court docket in Los Angeles, California, US, on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026.
Caroline Brehman | Bloomberg | Getty Photos
“So it is a private factor, however yeah, I do suppose it is potential to make use of Instagram greater than you be ok with,” Mosseri stated. “An excessive amount of is relative, it is private.”
The Los Angeles trial is considered one of a number of main courtroom instances happening this 12 months that specialists have described because the social media trade’s “Massive Tobacco” second due to the alleged hurt attributable to their merchandise and the associated firm efforts to deceive the general public.
Dad and mom of kids who they allege suffered from detrimental results of social media exterior the courthouse in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Feb 18.
Jonathan Vanian
Meta can also be concerned in a significant trial in New Mexico, during which the state’s legal professional common, Raúl Torrez, alleges that the social media big failed to make sure that youngsters and younger customers are protected from on-line predators.
“What we’re actually alleging is that Meta has created a harmful product, a product that permits not solely the focusing on of kids, however the exploitation of kids in digital areas and in the actual world,” Torrez advised CNBC’s “Squawk Field” final week when opening arguments for the trial started.
This summer time, one other social media trial is anticipated to start within the Northern District of California. That trial additionally entails firms like Meta and YouTube and allegations that their respective apps comprise flaws that foster detrimental psychological well being points in younger customers.
CNBC’s Jennifer Elias contributed reporting.
WATCH: New Mexico AG Raul Torrez talks about his case towards Meta
