Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri denies social media is clinically addictive in a major US trial over child safety and platform design
LOS ANGELES: Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri rejected claims that social media is clinically addictive during a landmark US trial examining whether platforms deliberately hook children.
Testifying in a California courtroom, Mosseri differentiated between casual overuse and a medical diagnosis. “I think it’s important to differentiate between clinical addiction and problematic use,” he told plaintiff attorney Mark Lanier.
Lanier challenged this, noting Mosseri lacks medical or psychological qualifications. The CEO conceded he had used the term “addicted” too casually in the past.
The trial involves Meta, Instagram’s parent company, and Google-owned YouTube as defendants. It centres on allegations that a young woman, identified as Kaley G.M., suffered severe mental harm after becoming addicted to social media as a child.
Plaintiffs’ attorney Mark Lanier argued the companies engineer addiction for profit. “Meta and Google don’t only build apps; they build traps,” he told the jury in opening remarks.
Mosseri pushed back against the characterisation of Instagram as a dopamine “slot machine” for young people. He argued that protecting minors is ultimately good for business and profit in the long term.
The courtroom’s public gallery included mothers of teenagers who had committed suicide. These representatives of thousands of US families had camped outside to secure a seat.
A Stanford University professor testified that she views social media broadly as a drug. She compared YouTube to a gateway drug for children.
Meta’s attorney argued the plaintiff’s suffering stemmed from her family context, not Instagram use. YouTube’s counsel insisted the platform is not intentionally addictive and is more akin to a viewing venue like Netflix.
Mosseri noted that while teens are often trendsetters, they are less profitable for Instagram. He explained they tend not to click on ads due to limited expendable income.
The trial is considered a bellwether case that could set a precedent for over a thousand similar lawsuits across the United States. These suits accuse social media firms of contributing to depression, eating disorders, and suicide among young users.
Mosseri’s testimony precedes the scheduled appearances of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and YouTube CEO Neil Mohan.
