{"title": "Meta CEO Minimizes Internal Studies in New Mexico Youth Protection Lawsuit", "body": ["In a New Mexico lawsuit focused on youth protection, jurors listened to pre-recorded testimony from Meta's chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg. He faced multiple questions regarding the firm's awareness of social media dependency and related concerns explored by its own investigators."], ["The deposition, captured in March of the previous year, delved into various insights from Meta's internal experts examining the impact of its platforms on general users and adolescents. Zuckerberg tended to minimize the importance of several such reports."], ["At the outset of the session, accessible via Courtroom View Network and reviewed by Engadget, he addressed a report concerning feedback's influence on Facebook participants. It noted that those posting content tend to link sharing with responses, encouraging more frequent visits in pursuit of such rewards. Zuckerberg responded that he lacked certainty on its real-world application but acknowledged the summary aligned with the document's apparent intent."], ["Subsequently, attention turned to a chart depicting the share of 11- and 12-year-olds engaging monthly with Instagram. It showed approximately one-fifth of 11-year-olds as active at that period. Zuckerberg confirmed the visual's content but expressed unfamiliarity with the estimation methods employed. He added that direct evidence of anyone under 13 would prompt their exclusion from the platforms."], ["The 2023 lawsuit from New Mexico's top legal officer accuses Meta of shortcomings in safeguarding children, such as enabling predators to reach young users and incorporating knowingly habit-forming elements. Meta's legal team and leaders in the proceedings have contested labeling social media as addictive. Publicly, the firm has argued that such legal actions misuse selective excerpts and decontextualized dialogues, emphasizing its decade-long prioritization of adolescent protection over expansion."], ["Similar to his appearance in a distinct Los Angeles case on social media dependency, Zuckerberg frequently challenged the framing of inquiries directed at him. He stressed that Meta aims to deliver value through its applications, not to extend user engagement durations."], ["He also fielded queries on a researcher's memo asserting growing U.S. evidence that Facebook's overall influence on individual welfare leans marginally harmful. Zuckerberg countered that prevailing expert opinion does not support that view."], ["This marks another instance where a Meta leader has diminished the weight of proprietary studies. In 2021, following revelations by ex-employee and whistleblower Frances Haugen about documents indicating Instagram's negative effects on certain teenage girls' self-image, the company adopted a comparable approach."], ["The playback of Zuckerberg's statements occurred shortly after jurors reviewed video testimony from Instagram head Adam Mosseri. He too discussed Haugen's revelations and Meta's handling of them, describing some as rooted in flawed analyses. He pointed out that much of their work involves polling, with hundreds conducted monthly."]}