The head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, testified on Wednesday that social media is not ‘clinically addictive,’ directly challenging accusations that the platform prioritizes profit over the mental well-being of its young users. This testimony took place during a significant tech addiction lawsuit.
Mosseri, 43, presented Instagram, a Meta-owned application, as a responsible guardian committed to stringent safety protocols for teenagers. While acknowledging that social media might cause some harm, he assured the court that the company diligently tests features intended for young people before their release. He further clarified that while individuals might describe themselves as ‘addicted’ to social media in a casual sense—much like enjoying a compelling TV series—this differs fundamentally from a more serious, ‘clinically addictive’ state.
He articulated the company’s balancing act: ‘There’s always a trade-off between safety and speech. We’re trying to be as safe as possible and censor as little as possible.’
As Instagram’s leader since 2018, Mosseri was the first executive to give evidence in this high-profile case against Meta and YouTube. This trial is one among many filed by teenagers, schools, and state attorneys general, all alleging that social media platforms are engineered to create addiction, akin to casino slot machines or cigarettes.
Conversely, the tech companies maintain that there’s no conclusive scientific proof linking their platforms directly to addiction. They also invoke a federal law that shields them from accountability for user-generated content.
A favorable verdict for the plaintiff, a 20-year-old California woman identified as K.G.M. or Kaley, could pave the way for substantial financial penalties in similar legal battles and potentially force companies to redesign their applications.
K.G.M. initiated her lawsuit against YouTube, TikTok, Snap, and Meta (owners of Instagram and Facebook) in 2023. She claims these companies deliberately designed their apps to foster compulsive usage, which contributed to her struggles with body dysmorphia, anxiety, and depression.
Prior to the trial, she reached undisclosed settlements with Snap and TikTok, though these companies remain defendants in other ongoing lawsuits.
During Monday’s opening statements, K.G.M.’s legal representative, Mark Lanier, likened Instagram and YouTube’s applications to ‘digital casinos.’ He cited internal documents from Meta and Google that reportedly drew parallels between their technology and industries like gambling and tobacco.
Meta, in its opening argument, contended that K.G.M.’s mental health challenges stemmed from family issues and turmoil, not social media use. They presented medical records, asserting that social media addiction wasn’t a primary focus of her therapy sessions.
YouTube, for its part, asserted that it is not primarily a social media company and that its features are not designed to induce addiction.
The trial has garnered significant attention from tech policy and child safety advocates, who filled the courtroom benches. Some parents involved in separate lawsuits against Meta and YouTube even spent the night outside the courthouse to secure seats in the front row.
On Wednesday, Lanier intensely questioned Mosseri regarding various Instagram features, including beauty filters and the infinite scroll, as well as his annual stock compensation. He brought up Meta’s former slogan, ‘Move fast and break things,’ contrasting it with the company’s current approach to safety research. Mosseri stated his updated mantra is now ‘Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast.’
Lanier also presented internal documents from 2019, revealing discussions between Mosseri and then-Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg about potentially reversing a ban on beauty filters that simulated plastic surgery. Other executives reportedly urged them to reconsider, warning that such filters could lead to body dysmorphia among young users.
‘We would rightly be accused of putting growth over responsibility,’ Nick Clegg, a Meta executive at the time, reportedly wrote to Mosseri concerning the proposed lifting of the beauty filter ban.
Ultimately, Mosseri and Zuckerberg decided to proceed with reversing the ban.
Lanier also questioned Mosseri about his three sons and cited an internal Meta research report indicating that children who experience hardship are more susceptible to social media’s negative effects. He pressed Mosseri on whether companies like Instagram should implement additional safeguards for children with traumatic childhoods.
‘We do,’ Mosseri affirmed. ‘We try to identify all different types of risks.’