Meta Chief Zuckerberg Testifies in High-Stakes Social Media Addiction Trial in Los Angeles

Attorneys for the plaintiff questioned the CEO on allegations that his products targeted young people despite known harms.
Meta Chief Zuckerberg Testifies in High-Stakes Social Media Addiction Trial in Los Angeles
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg leaves the Los Angeles Superior Court after testifying in Los Angeles on Feb. 18, 2026. Wally Skalij/Getty Images
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LOS ANGELES—On the most anticipated day yet of a landmark social media addiction trial that began Feb. 9, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg took the stand at the Los Angeles Superior Court on Feb. 18 to answer allegations that he engineered his social media platforms to be addictive to children despite knowing the potential harms.

Plaintiff’s attorney Mark Lanier wasted no time setting the moral tone, opening with the suggestion that there are different ways to deal with vulnerable people—help them, ignore them, or, he said, pulling on the last words in his honeyed Southern drawl, “prey upon them.”

Beige Luciano-Adams
Beige Luciano-Adams
Author
Beige Luciano-Adams is an investigative reporter covering Los Angeles and statewide issues in California. She has covered politics, arts, culture, and social issues for a variety of outlets, including LA Weekly and MediaNews Group publications. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X: https://twitter.com/LucianoBeige
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