Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram at Meta, testified in a major Los Angeles trial that he does not believe people can be clinically addicted to social media, pushing back against a key argument made by plaintiffs seeking to hold platforms responsible for harm to children.
The case centers on a 20-year-old plaintiff identified as «KGM,» whose lawsuit is seen as a bellwether for thousands of similar claims against social media companies. Meta and Google’s YouTube are the remaining defendants after TikTok and Snap reached settlements.
During testimony, Mosseri distinguished between clinical addiction and what he described as «problematic use,» referring to users spending more time on Instagram than they feel comfortable with. Confronted with past podcast remarks suggesting social media can be addictive, Mosseri said he had likely used the term too casually and emphasized he is not a medical expert.
The trial also examined Instagram’s cosmetic filters and their potential impact on body image. Emotional reactions were visible in court as bereaved parents listened to discussions about self-harm and body dysmorphia. Meta shut down third-party augmented reality filters in January 2025.
Plaintiffs argue that platforms have exposed teens to harmful content, including sexual material and self-harm-related posts. Meta disputes those claims, calling such reports misleading and defending its safety measures for young users.
Meta is also facing a separate trial in New Mexico this week as legal scrutiny of social media’s impact on children intensifies.
