Mark Zuckerberg’s testimony this week in a landmark social media case revealed not just how the Meta CEO has thought about youth social media addiction—but also his view on the impact of Instagram on the self-confidence and well-being of young girls.
The case is brought by a plaintiff called called Kaley G.M., or K.G.M., against Meta and Google. Now 20, she says Instagram and YouTube were addictive, which led to personal injury and other harm. She opened her Instagram account at age 9. TikTok and Snapchat have faced similar claims, but settled out of court.
Most attention in the lead-up to the trial was on social-media addiction in young people, as well as the absolute worst of its impact, like teens who died by suicide after viewing content about self-harm. The trial is taking place in California, a state that has tried to better regulate the tech and AI giants based there after failing to do so during the initial rise of social media.
Watching the case, what stood out to me as well was the exchange about Instagram beauty filters. The plaintiff said beauty filters contributed to her body dysmorphia. The filters allow users to alter their faces to look more attractive or like they’ve had plastic surgery procedures. For a young girl dealing with insecurities, the ability to look completely different on Instagram could make her feel inadequate when she looks in the mirror in real life—and make her feel like she needs those cosmetic procedures outside of the app too.
The plaintiff’s lawyers noted that Meta convened its own panel of 18 experts, who advised that beauty filters could have a negative impact on teen girls. But Zuckerberg said that while Meta briefly disabled the filters, the company ultimately decided that to do away with them completely was overly “paternalistic.” Instead, Meta changed its policy to allow beauty filters to exist—but not to create them itself or recommend them to users. Beauty filters are a form of free expression, Meta essentially decided.
Zuckerberg doesn’t know what it’s like to be a teen girl. But he does have three daughters, with the oldest now entering her tween years. He’s proudly called himself a “girl dad,” after taking the family to the Eras Tour. For Meta, not forcing beauty filters on impressionable tweens is a solution. But is that enough for a parent? One of Meta’s own employees disagreed: “I respect your call and I support it,” a mother of two wrote to Zuckerberg in an email, “but I want to say for the record, I don’t think it’s the right call.”
Emma Hinchliffe
emma.hinchliffe@fortune.com
The Most Powerful Women Daily newsletter is Fortune’s daily briefing for and about the women leading the business world. Subscribe here.
ALSO IN THE HEADLINES
The Supreme Court struck down President Trump's tariffs. Justice Amy Coney Barrett was one of three conservatives to join the liberal wing of the court in the 6-3 ruling. The majority concluded that Trump exceeded his authority in unilaterally imposing tariffs without the consent of Congress. Now companies will be able to seek refunds—and the source of revenue for the administration's tax cuts is gone. Expect a complex wave of litigation to come.
Alysa Liu wins gold! Her gold medal is the first for an American woman in individual figure skating in 24 years. And she did it with a free skate routine that displayed her artistry and joy. AP
The EEOC is suing a Coca-Cola bottler over a women's networking event. Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast ran a two-day networking trip for 250 women in September 2024. A male employee's complaint alleges that the retreat violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. AP
The Labor Secretary's husband is barred from the department's HQ. Because two staffers reported that he sexually assaulted them. Lori Chavez-DeRemer is labor secretary and her husband is Dr. Shawn DeRemer, an anesthesiologist. One incident in which he inappropriately touched a department staffer was captured on security cameras—and was part of a criminal investigation. The concerns were also part of an internal investigation into alleged misconduct by Chavez-DeRemer and her senior staff. The department, the secretary, and her husband all haven't commented. NYT
CVS Pharmacy is sponsoring the NWSL. CVS Health is No. 5 on the Fortune 500, making it one of the largest companies in the world to ink a major sponsorship deal in women's sports.
ON MY RADAR
MAHA moms turn against Trump: ‘Women feel like they were lied to’ NYT
She bet on K-pop. Netflix got its biggest movie ever Bloomberg
Ukrainian women tell their stories of sexual violence by Russian soldiers NYT
PARTING WORDS
"I want to show that it’s possible."
— Olympic gold medalist Francesca Lollobrigida on combining professional excellence with motherhood. The Italian speedskater went viral, especially in Italy, for a post-victory interview where her toddler wore her gold medal and grabbed at the microphone.
