Zuckerberg’s Court Testimony Reveals Outreach to Tim Cook Over Teen Mental Health Concerns
In a recent court testimony, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg disclosed that he had reached out to Apple CEO Tim Cook to discuss the mental health and well-being of teenagers and children using their platforms. This revelation emerged during a significant lawsuit filed by the state of New Mexico, accusing Meta of failing to protect minors on Facebook and Instagram from online predators.
The lawsuit alleges that Meta facilitated the exposure of children to sexually explicit and exploitative content, as well as human trafficking activities within the state. New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez stated that Meta has created a dangerous product that enables the targeting and exploitation of children both online and in real life.
During the trial, defense attorneys presented a February 2018 email exchange between Zuckerberg and Cook. Zuckerberg testified that he initiated the conversation to explore potential collaborations between Meta and Apple aimed at enhancing the safety and well-being of young users. He emphasized his concern for the welfare of teens and children utilizing their services.
The specifics of their discussion remain undisclosed. However, the relationship between the two tech leaders became strained after Cook publicly criticized Facebook’s privacy practices in March 2018. This tension underscores the broader debate over responsibility for age verification and content moderation. Meta contends that app stores like those operated by Apple and Google should manage age verification, while Apple maintains that developers should handle this within their apps, focusing on data minimization.
This trial is among several legal challenges Meta faces this year, with potential implications for how social media platforms design and manage their services to protect young users.
