Instagram Chief Admits Teen Safety Tool Rarely Used In Meta Trial
On August 25, 2026, Adam Mosseri, Instagram's head, testified in federal court in Oakland that Instagram's "Take a Break" tool was rarely used by teens in the multi-state child safety trial against Meta.[1]
An internal Meta document entered into evidence showed about 1.8% of teen users enabled "Take a Break" when it was optional.[1] Mosseri confirmed Meta never publicly disclosed that low usage and said parents then had no way to know only 1-2% of teens used the tool.[1] He told the court Meta made "Take a Break" a default on all teen accounts in late 2024 after states sued Meta in 2023.[1]
States sued Meta in 2023 in a multi-state child safety case that led to the Oakland trial.[1] Prosecutors have argued Meta put growth and engagement over young users' well-being, and they used internal documents to show product choices and opt-in rates.[1]
The trial is ongoing in federal court in Oakland.[1]
Show source details & analysis (1 source)
📌 Key Facts
- On August 25, 2026, Adam Mosseri testified in federal court in Oakland in a multi-state child safety case against Meta.
- An internal Meta document entered into evidence showed only about 1.8% of teen users enabled Instagram’s 'Take a Break' feature when it was optional.
- Mosseri confirmed Meta has never publicly disclosed that low usage figure and that parents had no way at the time to know only 1–2% of teens used the tool.
- Mosseri said 'Take a Break' was made a default setting on all teen accounts in late 2024, after states sued Meta in 2023.
📰 Source Timeline (1)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time