CEO of Meta refutes claims that he is addicted to social media
A tech mogul defends Instagram’s design against billions of dollars in potential damages, arguing that long-term user satisfaction is more important than short-term hits.
On Wednesday, February 18, 2026, Mark Zuckerberg testified in Los Angeles County Superior Court to defend Meta against allegations that its platforms are purposefully made to appeal to children and teenagers.
The CEO’s testimony marks a turning point in a historic lawsuit brought by a 20-year-old woman known in court as “Kaley,” who claims that her obsessive use of YouTube and Instagram from infancy caused serious mental health issues, such as anxiety and despair. Because it has the potential to establish a precedent for over 1,500 comparable cases nationwide, this case is being widely monitored.
Zuckerberg was questioned about if Instagram’s algorithms are designed to foster addiction during his testimony. Instead of merely pressuring users to stay on the program, he retorted that Meta’s commercial objectives are linked to user satisfaction. “Creating a sustainable community is my main goal,” Zuckerberg stated. People may spend more time on Instagram in the short term if you do something bad for them, but they won’t use it in the long run if they’re unhappy with it. I’m not attempting to increase the amount of time individuals spend each month. Mark Lanier, the plaintiff’s lawyer, questioned Zuckerberg further about the app’s addictive qualities, to which he replied, “I don’t know what to say to that… I don’t think that applies here.”
Historical strategies and internal papers were also examined during the trial. Zuckerberg was questioned by Lanier over an email from 2015 in which the CEO set a target of 12% more time spent on Meta’s apps. Although Zuckerberg accepted the previous standard, he asserted that the business has since departed from those particular growth indicators. Long before Kaley ever utilized social media, the defense has maintained that a challenging family life was one of many outside factors that contributed to her mental health issues. “The evidence will demonstrate that she faced numerous significant, challenging challenges long before she ever used social media,” Meta said.
Families from all around the United States who think social media hurt their kids have come to watch the trial outside of court. Other big businesses like Snapchat and TikTok have already reached settlements in this particular issue, while Meta and YouTube are still contesting the accusations.
This is the first time that Zuckerberg has stood up for his company’s product design in front of a jury as opposed to a legislative committee. The firm might be compelled to make significant changes to how its algorithms interact with younger users and face billions of dollars in damages if the jury deems Meta guilty.
