Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, regretted, on Wednesday, the company's delay in identifying underage users on Instagram, during a historic trial session related to social networks in which the American billionaire faced harsh criticism. This case is expected to set a standard for resolving thousands of lawsuits that blame social media for the spread of depression, anxiety, eating disorders and suicide among young people.

Published on: 02/19/2026 - 14:33 Last updated: 02/19/2026 - 16:23

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In the context of a trial session related to social networks, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, expressed his regret on Wednesday because of his company’s delay in identifying underage users on Instagram.

When he was asked to comment on complaints from within the company that not enough effort was being made to ensure that children under the age of 13 were not using the platform, Zuckerberg, 41, who also owns Facebook and WhatsApp, said that improvements had been made to the means of communication he owned. "But I always wish we had reached this stage sooner," he added.

Reservation and tension during the session

Zuckerberg was the most anticipated witness in the California trial, the first in a series of lawsuits filed by American families against social media platforms. This is the first time that the billionaire has spoken about security measures on his global platforms directly, in front of a jury, and under oath.

An Agence France-Presse correspondent from the courtroom reported that Zuckerberg was very reserved at first, but he quickly became nervous and began shaking his head and moving his hands as he turned toward the jury, while Mark Lanier, the plaintiff’s lawyer, pressed Zuckerberg about age verification procedures on applications.

When questioned by his lawyer, Zuckerberg appeared more relaxed, describing time spent on the app as a “sideshow” to a distinct user experience, and often addressed jurors directly to make his point.

Age verification activation feature

He also stressed his belief that Apple and Google, which are behind phone operating systems, should activate the age verification feature at the level of the phone itself instead of leaving it to each application separately. "It will be very easy for them," he added.

Zuckerberg has faced a barrage of internal emails, including warnings from his employees that age verification is inappropriate and other messages suggesting that spending more time on Instagram has long been a major goal of the company.

The trial is scheduled to continue until late March, when the jury will decide whether Meta, in addition to YouTube, which is owned by Google, bears responsibility for the psychological problems suffered by Kylie GM, a 20-year-old young woman from California who has used social media extensively since her childhood.

Kylie began using YouTube at the age of six, Instagram at nine, then TikTok and Snapchat.

“We are in the right place now.”

It is assumed that those under the age of 13 are not allowed to use Instagram, and Lanier stressed in his questions to Zuckerberg the ease of Kylie opening an account on the platform.

In addition, Zuckerberg was confronted with an internal document that said that Instagram had four million users under the age of 13 in 2015, the period in which the plaintiff used the application, and that 30% of all children between the ages of 10 and 12, or “teens” in the United States, were users.

Zuckerberg emphasized, "We're in the right place now" when it comes to age verification.

This case is expected to set a standard for resolving thousands of lawsuits that blame social media for the spread of depression, anxiety, eating disorders and suicide among young people.

It is noteworthy that the companies "Tik Tok" and "Snapchat" reached a settlement with the plaintiff before the start of the trial.

France 24/AFP

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