Instagram’s chief executive, Adam Mosseri, testified on Tuesday that only a small percentage of teenagers used the platform’s “Take a Break” feature before it was enabled by default in September 2024, according to ongoing trial proceedings against its parent company, Meta.

Meta Faces Legal Challenge Over Teen Mental Health

Mosseri’s testimony came as the trial, brought by 29 U.S. states, entered its second week. The lawsuit accuses Meta of designing its platforms,including Facebook and Instagram,to be addictive to young users, contributing to mental health issues like anxiety, depression, and even suicide.

California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey have specifically accused Meta of creating addictive features that harm children’s well-being while misleading the public about the platforms’ safety. All 29 states also claim that Meta improperly collected and used personal data from children under 13.

The states are seeking approximately $200 billion in damages from Meta, according to court filings. The case is considered one of the most significant legal tests of social media’s impact on youth mental health.

Testimony on Low Adoption of Safety Features

During questioning by Jason Slothouber, a lawyer for Colorado, Mosseri admitted that usage of the “Take a Break” feature was in the low single digits before it was made the default for teenage accounts. The feature encourages users to close the app after a set amount of time.

Mosseri had previously estimated that more than 90 percent of teens who activated the feature kept it on. However, that number only counted those who had manually turned it on, not the overall user base.

When asked whether Meta had disclosed the low adoption rate—estimated at 1 or 2 percent,Mosseri acknowledged the company had not, but explained that the feature was later enabled by default in Teen Accounts, which were launched in 2024 and include parental controls.

Former Meta employees have criticized the design of such features. Arturo Bejar, a former Meta engineering director, testified last week that Take a Break was “designed to fail.” George Volichenko, a former Instagram data scientist, stated that adoption of safety features like Quiet Mode was “very low” and that leadership had declined to enable them by default for young users, citing concerns over engagement.

Jurors to Issue Advisory Verdict

The trial is expected to last six weeks. After deliberations, jurors will issue an advisory verdict. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers will then decide whether Meta is liable and determine any potential civil penalties or platform changes.