<span>STORY: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified in court on Wednesday that the Facebook and Instagram operator does not allow kids under 13 on its platforms…</span><span>:: Mona Edwards</span><span>…despite being confronted with evidence suggesting they were a key demographic.</span><span>He took the stand as part of a landmark trial over youth social media addiction.</span><span>The case involves a California woman who started using Instagram and YouTube as a child. </span><span>She alleges the companies sought to profit by hooking kids on their services, and claims the apps fueled her depression and suicidal thoughts.</span><span>Meta and Google have denied the allegations, and pointed to their work to add features that keep users safe.</span><span>Meanwhile, Meta’s rivals Snap and TikTok settled with the plaintiff before the trial kicked off last week.</span><span>On Wednesday, Mark Lanier, a lawyer for the woman suing, confronted Zuckerberg with internal Meta documents.</span><span>He showed jurors emails from 2014 and 2015 in which Zuckerberg laid out aims to increase time spent on Instagram by double-digit percentage points. </span><span>Zuckerberg said that while Meta previously had goals related to the amount of time users spent on the app, it has since changed its approach.</span><span>Meta faces potential damages at the jury trial in Los Angeles, part of a wave of litigation against social media companies in the U.S.</span><span>Cases there are beginning to go to trial amid a broader global backlash over the platforms’ effect on young users.</span> 
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