Zuckerberg Says He Spoke With Apple’s Tim Cook About Teen Wellbeing During Landmark Trial
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, revealed that he had communicated with Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, to discuss the “wellbeing of teenagers and children” using social media platforms. The disclosure came during his testimony in a high-profile trial concerning the safety of young users.
Zuckerberg’s remarks were made before the Los Angeles Superior Court as part of a case described by legal observers as the social media industry’s “Big Tobacco moment,” referring to allegations that platforms were deliberately designed in ways that could harm teenagers’ mental health.
He said the outreach aimed to explore potential cooperation with Apple on youth safety issues, emphasizing Meta’s interest in protecting minors across its platforms, particularly Instagram.
Court proceedings also examined the impact of digital beauty filters that promote specific beauty standards, amid claims that they have caused psychological harm—especially to teenage girls. Zuckerberg acknowledged that Meta had reviewed expert opinions on these filters but stated that the company’s final decision was guided by principles of free expression, adding that available evidence did not establish a direct causal link to the alleged harm.
Zuckerberg denied that Meta’s goal was to maximize time spent on Instagram, despite the presentation of internal messages discussing engagement metrics. He explained that while internal benchmarks are used to measure performance against competitors, the company’s primary focus remains on building services that help people connect.
The trial also addressed underage users, with Zuckerberg noting that some children falsify their ages when signing up. He said Meta removes accounts found to belong to users under the age of 13 and suggested that age verification could be more effective if implemented at the operating system or app store level—pointing to companies such as Apple and Google.
Meta faces accusations in the case that its platforms encourage compulsive use and negatively affect adolescent mental health, claims the company denies. According to Meta, the central question for the jury is whether Instagram was a substantial factor in the plaintiff’s psychological distress.
The trial is one of several major lawsuits filed this year against social media companies, including TikTok and Snap, reflecting growing legal and regulatory pressure on the industry over child and teen protection.
