Zuckerberg's Trial Testimony Pushes Back on Social Media Addiction Claims

The founder and CEO of Meta, Mark Zuckerberg, defended the social media platforms his company owns in testimony before a Los Angeles County court jury this week. Zuckerberg said that Instagram, the platform targeted in a trial over social media addiction, is not inherently addictive, but that it offers a service that is valuable, so "people will want to use it more."

The case, filed by a Californian in 2023 who alleges she became addicted to Instagram from an early age and suffered harmful effects, is one of several high-profile suits that could shake up the social media landscape for companies including YouTube, TikTok and Snap, among others.

In his testimony, Zuckerberg was asked not only whether his company is aware of the effect its social networks have ...