Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, testified on Wednesday in a significant social media addiction case in Los Angeles, expressing regret for the company's slow progress in identifying underage users on Instagram. This admission comes amidst internal complaints that the company has not been doing enough to verify the ages of its users, especially children under 13, which raises continued concerns about their safety and privacy on the platform.

During his testimony, Zuckerberg addressed the criticisms regarding the lack of stringent measures to prevent young users from accessing Instagram, a platform that has been linked to various mental health issues among teenagers. He stated that although there have been improvements made in the mechanisms to detect underage users, the pace of these advancements has not been as rapid as expected, leading to public scrutiny and legal challenges for the company.

The implications of Zuckerberg's statements could be far-reaching for Meta, especially as it faces increased regulatory pressure and legal liabilities regarding the safety of minors online. This case highlights the ongoing debate about social media's impact on youth and the responsibility of companies like Meta to enforce age restrictions effectively, as failure to do so can lead to significant reputational damage and legal repercussions.