meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
The Journal.

In a Landmark Trial, Zuckerberg Takes the Stand

The Journal.

The Wall Street Journal

Business News, Daily News, News

4.25.8K Ratings

🗓️ 19 February 2026

⏱️ 21 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Yesterday, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified in a first-of-its-kind trial with one central question: Are social media platforms causing mental health disorders among young people? The plaintiff argues that platforms like Instagram are designed to keep children addicted, potentially bypassing long-standing legal shields that have protected tech companies in the past. WSJ’s Meghan Bobrowsky takes us inside the courtroom for Mark Zuckerberg’s testimony and explains why this trial could impact thousands of other cases. Ryan Knutson hosts. Further Listening: - The Battle Within Meta Over Chatbot Safety  - “The Facebook Files’ from The Journal. Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

So it is 6.30 a.m. and it has just stopped raining.

0:12.1

I am waiting outside a.

0:15.9

courthouse trying to get into this trial that is happening today.

0:21.7

Yesterday morning, our colleague Megan Babrowski was in Los Angeles.

0:25.7

She was there for a landmark trial and to watch testimony from a very high-profile witness.

0:31.9

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is supposed to testify,

0:36.7

and Mark Zuckerberg is going to be defending himself

0:41.1

and the actions of his company today in court.

0:45.7

The key questions hanging over Zuckerberg's testimony?

0:49.7

Is social media designed to be addictive?

0:52.4

And is it harmful to teenagers?

0:56.0

Last week, the plaintiff's attorney, Mark Lanier, spoke about the case on Fox business.

1:02.7

Well, we slapped a subpoena on Mark Zuckerberg on purpose because we've got documents with his name

1:08.1

that he authored that we believe show he put profits over the safety

1:13.6

of children.

1:14.6

Lanier represents a 20-year-old woman who claims that she was harmed by social media use as a child.

1:20.6

And we're going to put him on the stand and I'm going to grill him on him.

1:25.6

Meta, which is the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said in a statement prior to

1:31.1

the trial start that the plaintiff's lawyers will, quote, try to paint an intentionally

1:35.6

misleading picture of meta with cherry-picked quotes and snippets of conversations taken out of

1:40.8

context.

1:44.7

This trial, which is being heard by a jury, is the first of its kind and the first of thousands

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from The Wall Street Journal, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of The Wall Street Journal and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.