Mark Zuckerberg Testifies at Landmark Trial Over Teen Social Media Addiction
LOS ANGELES — Mark Zuckerberg took the stand Wednesday in a closely watched trial examining whether Instagram was engineered to hook young users, firmly denying he ever ordered employees to boost “time spent” or target children under 13.
Under sharp questioning from attorney Mark Lanier, the Meta Platforms chief was confronted with a 2015 email outlining goals to increase engagement. Zuckerberg acknowledged writing it but described the message as informal thinking rather than official company policy.
“I’m not sure these were official goals,” he told jurors, adding that Meta later shifted away from tracking raw engagement metrics.
The case is the first bellwether trial among hundreds of lawsuits alleging that Instagram and other platforms function like “digital casinos,” contributing to anxiety, self-harm and suicidal thoughts among teens.
Psychiatrist Anna Lembke testified that features such as autoplay and endless scroll can create addiction-like behaviors, especially in adolescents whose brains are still developing. Meta executives, including Instagram head Adam Mosseri, have rejected the term “clinical addiction,” calling excessive use “problematic” instead.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show youth suicide rates rose sharply between 2007 and 2021, a statistic frequently cited in court as debate intensifies over social media’s impact on teen mental health.
The trial continues in Los Angeles and could shape the future of litigation — and regulation — surrounding Big Tech and youth safety.
