Instagram boss Adam Mosseri has told a California courtroom that he does not agree that the social media app or any of Meta's platforms are addictive.
Mr Mosseri took the stand at the much-anticipated civil trial involving a woman, 20, who claims she suffered mental health problems because of the addictive nature of social media apps she started using as a child.
“I think it's important to differentiate between clinical addiction and problematic use,” Mr Mosseri said, according to AFP.
“I'm sure I said that I've been addicted to a Netflix show when I binged it really late one night, but I don't think it's the same thing as clinical addiction.”
YouTube, which is operated by Google, is also named in the case. Snapchat and TikTok were initially listed as well, but settled out of court.
Meta, owner of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads, is often criticised for its products, but the California case appears to indicate a souring of attitudes among the general public against Big Tech.
The Tech Oversight Project, a non-profit organisation that seeks accountability for technology companies, is using the trial as an opportunity to report on its own findings related to Instagram.
“Oh my gosh y'all, Instagram is a drug,” read an internal Instagram message obtained by Tech Oversight Project.
Another message from an internal conversation read: “Seriously it is, we are causing reward-deficit disorder because people are bingeing on IG so much that they can't feel reward any more.”
In a post on X on Wednesday, the Tech Oversight Project said: “Employees knew and Meta knew. The harm wasn't accidental – it was built in.”
Meta has denied allegations of addiction.
This was not the first time Mr Mosseri has been a major witness for Meta. He was also called when the US Federal Trade Commission was trying to break up what it called monopolistic business practices by the technology giant. A judge ruled against the regulatory agency.
Mr Mosseri is also known for frequently using Instagram for question-and-answer sessions with users about features they would like to see or problems they have with the app. He has 3.6 million followers on the platform.
Meta is also the subject of a New Mexico case accusing it of not doing enough to protect children from exploitation and trafficking on its platforms.
Outside of the legal arena, the social media company is trying to stop international momentum, started by Australia, to ban social media platforms for children and teenagers.
Meta has insisted that the various tools and teenager-specific account options are more than enough to ease the concerns of parents, police and mental health experts.
