Zuckerberg Testifies in Landmark Youth Social Media Trial

Mark Zuckerberg testified on February 18, 2026 in Los Angeles Superior Court as part of a landmark trial about youth and social media. He has defended Instagram, saying the product was built to be valuable and not to intentionally harm young users. While he acknowledged that some users lie about their age, he said Meta removes underage accounts when they are identified.

The plaintiff, a 20-year-old woman identified as KGM, says she began using YouTube at age six and Instagram at about age nine and that early use worsened her depression. Lawyers for Meta and Google have argued the companies are not the main cause and that the plaintiff’s difficulties began before her social media use. TikTok and Snapchat settled earlier.

Earlier testimony from Instagram head Adam Mosseri has been shown at trial, and internal messages have been discussed that describe product choices aimed at increasing engagement. The judge has allowed the jury to consider whether design features like infinite scroll and autoplay were a substantial factor. The trial is seen as a bellwether that could affect many similar lawsuits.