Meta CEO Zuckerberg Testifies in Landmark Instagram Addiction Lawsuit

Judge warns against recording in court as Zuckerberg faces questions about Instagram's impact on young users

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg took the stand in a Los Angeles court on Wednesday to defend his company against a lawsuit alleging that Instagram was designed to be addictive for kids. The judge warned attendees that recording in the courtroom would result in contempt of court charges, after at least two people accompanying Zuckerberg were spotted wearing Meta's controversial Ray-Ban smart glasses. Zuckerberg faced tough questions about internal documents showing millions of underage users on Instagram prior to 2019, and whether the platform was intentionally engineered to be addictive.

Why it matters

This case represents the first of potentially over 1,500 similar lawsuits that social media companies like Meta could face over allegations that their platforms are harming young users. A loss for Meta could set a precedent and open the floodgates for more legal challenges against the tech industry over the mental health impacts of social media.

The details

The lawsuit was brought by a now-20-year-old woman, identified as 'Kaley,' who claims she became addicted to Instagram as a child. Kaley's lawyers presented internal Meta slides from 2015 showing over 4 million underage Instagram users in the U.S., prior to the platform starting to ask for users' ages in 2019. Zuckerberg said the reason they didn't ask for ages earlier was due to privacy concerns, but claimed they eventually landed on the right policy. When pressed on whether Instagram was intentionally addictive, Zuckerberg avoided giving a direct answer.

  • On Wednesday, February 18, 2026, Mark Zuckerberg took the stand in a Los Angeles court.
  • Last week, the head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, testified that he didn't consider 16 hours of Instagram use per day to be an addiction, calling it 'problematic use' instead.

The players

Mark Zuckerberg

The CEO of Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.

Kaley

A now-20-year-old woman who has brought the first of potentially over 1,500 lawsuits against social media companies like Meta, alleging that Instagram was designed to be addictive for young users.

Judge Carolyn Kuhl

The judge presiding over the case in Los Angeles Superior Court, who warned attendees that recording in the courtroom would result in contempt of court charges.

Adam Mosseri

The head of Instagram, who testified last week that he didn't consider 16 hours of Instagram use per day to be an addiction.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“If you have done that, you must delete that, or you will be held in contempt of the court. This is very serious.”

— Judge Carolyn Kuhl (CNBC)

“I'm not sure what to say to that.”

— Mark Zuckerberg, CEO, Meta (Associated Press)

“I don't think that applies here.”

— Mark Zuckerberg, CEO, Meta (Associated Press)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on whether to allow Kaley's lawsuit to proceed to trial, which could set a precedent for how social media companies are held accountable for the mental health impacts of their platforms on young users.

The takeaway

This high-profile case highlights the growing legal and regulatory scrutiny facing social media giants like Meta over the potential harms their platforms can have on children and teenagers. The outcome could have far-reaching implications for the tech industry's approach to protecting young users.