The statistic was disclosed in portions of a March 2025 deposition by Instagram’s head, Adam Mosseri, and made public on Friday as part of ongoing litigation. The survey referenced in the deposition was conducted in 2021, according to Meta spokesperson Andy Stone, and relied on self-reported responses from young users about their experiences on the app.
Mosseri noted during the deposition that the company does not generally publish internal survey findings and cautioned that self-reported surveys can be “notoriously problematic.” Stone clarified that the data came from user feedback rather than a direct audit of content posted on the platform.
The disclosure comes as Meta faces mounting legal pressure in the United States and abroad. Thousands of lawsuits filed in federal and state courts accuse the company of designing products that are addictive and contribute to a worsening mental-health crisis among minors. Global policymakers have also raised concerns about the potential harms social media platforms may pose to children and teenagers.
In addition to reports of unwanted sexual content, about 8 percent of surveyed users aged 13 to 15 said they had seen someone harm themselves or threaten to do so on Instagram, according to the deposition. The findings add to ongoing scrutiny over how platforms handle sensitive and potentially harmful material viewed by young audiences.
Mosseri stated that most sexually explicit images cited in the survey were shared via private messages between users. He emphasised that monitoring such content presents challenges, particularly when balanced against user privacy. “A lot of people don't want us reading their messages,” he said during testimony.
Meta has pointed to steps it has taken to strengthen protections for younger users. In late 2025, the company announced it would remove images and videos containing nudity or explicit sexual activity for teen users, including content generated by artificial intelligence, while allowing exceptions for medical or educational purposes.
“We’re proud of the progress we’ve made, and we’re always working to do better,” Stone said.
The court proceedings continue to unfold, with the newly disclosed survey results likely to intensify debate over social media safety standards and the responsibilities of tech companies in protecting minors online.