Zuckerberg on trial: is this Big Tech’s Big Tobacco moment?

Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg has taken the stand in a landmark Los Angeles trial testing whether Instagram was built to addict kids - a case that could reshape social media worldwide.

The lawsuit comes as governments from Australia to Europe move toward teen bans and design crackdowns, with internal Meta emails about boosting teen engagement now colliding with claims the platform protects under-13s.

With TikTok and Snap settling and regulators circling, the verdict could decide whether platforms must redesign addictive features, or whether social media is being blamed for a broader youth mental-health crisis.