Zuckerberg testifies in landmark social media addiction trial in Los Angeles

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified for nearly eight hours in Los Angeles Superior Court on February 18, 2026, in the first trial from a consolidated group of more than 1,600 cases alleging that Instagram and other social media platforms are designed to addict children. Zuckerberg denied that Meta designed Instagram to be addictive to young users, telling jurors the company continuously works to improve the product. The test case, brought by a 20-year-old plaintiff identified as K.G.M., could determine the outcome of hundreds of pending lawsuits filed by families and school districts across the country.