Thu, 19 Feb 2026

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 Zuckerberg defends Meta in landmark social media addiction trial

The billionaire boss said he "always" regretted not making faster progress to identify users under 13.
Meta Platforms, owner of Instagram and Facebook, faced intense scrutiny in court as CEO Mark Zuckerberg struggled to defend his company against allegations that it intentionally targets young users. The landmark trial in Los Angeles centers on whether social media platforms like Instagram are addictive for children. Internal documents presented by plaintiff's lawyer Mark Lanier showed Meta executives discussing ways to increase teen usage and the "unenforced" age limitations on Instagram. A 2019 report found that teens felt "hooked" despite feeling negatively about their Instagram use, while another document from 2018 suggested the firm was aware of successful retention of users under 13. Zuckerberg maintained that lawyers were mischaracterizing internal communications and accused Lanier of taking some documents out of context. He also pointed to Messenger Kids as an example of a regulated platform for children under 13. However, emails and messages presented in court revealed that Zuckerberg and other Meta employees had discussed increasing teen usage and prioritizing teens as a top priority for the company. When questioned about these communications, Zuckerberg claimed that was no longer how the company operated. K.G.M., the lead plaintiff who started using Instagram at age 9, attended the proceedings alongside bereaved parents who have seen children suffer from social media addiction. The trial is expected to last several weeks and may have implications for thousands of similar lawsuits against Meta and other social media platforms. The case has sparked a wider debate about the role of social media in harming young people and whether platforms like Instagram are addictive by design.
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