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Instagram Chief Rejects Clinical-Addiction Claim in LA Bellwether Trial

The bellwether case tests design-based liability theories with implications for roughly 1,500 similar lawsuits.

Adam Mosseri, CEO of Instagram, arrives in court to testify in a landmark social media case that seeks to hold tech companies responsible for harms to children, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Adam Mosseri, CEO of Instagram, arrives in court to testify in a landmark social media case that seeks to hold tech companies responsible for harms to children, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Adam Mosseri, CEO of Instagram, arrives in court to testify in a landmark social media case that seeks to hold tech companies responsible for harms to children, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Adam Mosseri, CEO of Instagram, arrives in court to testify in a landmark social media case that seeks to hold tech companies responsible for harms to children, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Overview

  • Adam Mosseri testified that users cannot be clinically addicted to Instagram, framing concerns as 'problematic use,' as the judge limited questioning about content under Section 230.
  • Plaintiffs’ expert Dr. Anna Lembke told jurors that features such as infinite scroll, tailored algorithms, notifications and expiring stories are addictive and drive youth mental-health harms.
  • Meta and Google are the remaining defendants after TikTok and Snap settled, with the plaintiff identified as K.G.M. and the trial currently scheduled through March 20.
  • Mosseri faced detailed questions on beauty filters linked to body image concerns and on his compensation, while internal debates over filter policies were highlighted in court.
  • A related trial in New Mexico opened this week accusing Meta of failing to protect minors from sexual predators, as broader litigation challenges focus on platform design rather than user content.