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2mo ago

Instagram Chief Set to Testify as Los Angeles Jury Hears Addiction Claims Against YouTube and Meta

A Stanford addiction specialist told jurors that social media can function as a gateway that remodels adolescent brains.

Le grand procès de la responsabilité des réseaux sociaux, qui s’est ouvert à Los Angeles lundi 9 février 2026, entre dans un temps fort avec l’audition le mercredi 11 du patron d’Instagram. Mark Zuckerberg, patron de Meta, sera lui entendu le mercredi 18 février.
[AFP]
Le patron d'Instagram Adam Mosseri quitte le tribunal civil de Los Angeles où il vient de témoigner, le 11 février 2026
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Overview

  • Test case centers on a 20-year-old plaintiff, Kaley G. M., who says platform design and recommendation systems fostered compulsive use that contributed to depression, anxiety, and body-image issues.
  • Expert witness Dr. Anna Lembke testified that early exposure to social platforms can prime the developing brain for addiction by weakening self-regulation in the prefrontal cortex.
  • Google’s counsel argued YouTube was not intentionally engineered to be addictive, disputed that it is a social network, and cited internal communications prioritizing quality of time spent.
  • Meta’s attorney questioned causation, pointing to family dynamics, while the defense noted the plaintiff’s recent YouTube use has been minimal and denies she is addicted to the service.
  • Adam Mosseri is scheduled to appear today, with Mark Zuckerberg set for Feb. 18 and YouTube CEO Neal Mohan expected next week, in proceedings watched as a potential precedent for thousands of related suits.