Zuckerberg Takes the Stand in Landmark Teen-Addiction Trial, Defends Policy Shift

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified in a Los Angeles courtroom at a landmark trial alleging that Instagram and YouTube use addictive features to keep teens scrolling. He said he never mandated higher “time spent” company-wide and later scrapped such goals in favor of milestones tied to user value, insisting under-13s are prohibited and steps are taken to remove them. The cross-examination highlighted an email about increasing time spent and internal documents showing underage users; experts warned of potential clinical addiction risks while defense argued the platforms offer social and educational benefits. The case is a bellwether among thousands of lawsuits against social media giants.