Entertainment
Mark Zuckerberg in courtroom hot seat over social media dangers
Mark Zuckerberg appeared before a jury today to defend Meta against claims that its social media platforms are dangerously designed to get kids hooked on their sites.
The CEO told the court that Meta has taken action to reduce the prevalence of underage users on Instagram, reported NBC, and has adjusted internal goals to increase a user’s time on the site. Zuckerberg also accused the plaintiff’s attorney, Matthew Bergman of the Social Media Victims Law Center, of mischaracterizing his previous comments. The exchange came after Bergman questioned Zuckerberg about Meta’s age verification policies, Zuckerberg’s personal media coaching, and his compensation as Meta’s chief.
“If you do something that’s not good for people, maybe they’ll spend more time [on Instagram] short term, but if they’re not happy with it, they’re not going to use it over time,” said Zuckerberg. “I’m not trying to maximize the amount of time people spend every month.”
It’s the first time the tech leader testified before a jury about the alleged dangers of social media platforms, and comes after a congressional grilling of Zuckerberg in 2024.
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The watershed case in Los Angeles, brought by a 20-year-old user against Meta, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube parent company Google, is the first of a consolidated group of lawsuits filed by more than 1,600 plaintiffs alleging the companies knowingly designed dangerous products. TikTok and Snapchat recently settled out of the case being litigated now in L.A,, but several other related lawsuits are moving forward.
The outcome of the trial may influence whether tech giants and their leaders can be held liable for harm to their users’ mental health. Internet companies have mostly been shielded from litigation over their users’ content thanks to a provision in a 92-year-old communications law.
Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri kicked off executive testimonies last week. Mosseri denied claims that social media usage patterns among teens constitute “clinical addiction” — which is a charged topic among mental health professionals and tech leaders. Instead, Mosseri conceded to patterns of “problematic use” among users and denied that Instagram ignored safety concerns in favor of profit. “It’s relative. Yes, for an individual, there’s such a thing as using Instagram more than you feel good about,” he said. “We make less money from teens than any other demographic on the platform.”
Tech watchdogs hope the trial spurs congressional action, including streamlining the controversial Kids Online Safety Act. “What we’re seeing in that courtroom today is exactly what we’ve long known to be true – Mark Zuckerberg built a machine that exploited children for profit, and he knew it,” said Sacha Haworth, executive director of The Tech Oversight Project. “Congress needs to act now to hold Big Tech accountable and stop CEOs like Zuckerberg from exploiting and hurting young people.”
In a public statement released ahead of the trial, company officials argued: “The question for the jury in Los Angeles is whether Instagram was a substantial factor in the plaintiff’s mental health struggles. The evidence will show she faced many significant, difficult challenges well before she ever used social media.”
Entertainment
Moon phase today: What the Moon will look like on February 20
After nights of mostly darkness, the Moon is treating us to some viewing features tonight once again. Keep reading to see what exactly you can spot on its surface tonight.
What is today’s Moon phase?
As of Friday, Feb. 20, the Moon phase is Waxing Crescent. According to NASA’s Daily Moon Guide, 9% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.
Moon gazing is back, and there are a few viewing opportunities for tonight. With no visual aids, you should be able to make out a few surface features, but mainly the Mares Crisium and Fecunditatis. If you add a telescope or binoculars, you’ll add the Endymion Crater to this line up.
When is the next Full Moon?
The next Full Moon will be on March 3. The last Full Moon was on Feb. 1.
What are Moon phases?
NASA tells us that the Moon completes a full orbit around Earth in roughly 29.5 days. During this cycle, it passes through eight distinct phases. Although we consistently see the same side of the Moon, the portion illuminated by the Sun shifts as it travels along its orbit. The changing angle of sunlight reflecting off the Moon’s surface is what makes it appear full, partially lit, or nearly dark at different times. The eight phases include:
New Moon – The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it’s invisible to the eye).
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Waxing Crescent – A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).
First Quarter – Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.
Waxing Gibbous – More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.
Full Moon – The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.
Waning Gibbous – The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)
Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) – Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.
Waning Crescent – A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.
Entertainment
Hurdle hints and answers for February 20, 2026
If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.
There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it’ll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.
An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.
If you find yourself stuck at any step of today’s Hurdle, don’t worry! We have you covered.
Hurdle Word 1 hint
To snap.
Hurdle Word 1 answer
FLICK
Hurdle Word 2 hint
Come up.
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Hurdle Word 2 Answer
ARISE
Hurdle Word 3 hint
Chubby.
Hurdle Word 3 answer
PUDGY
Hurdle Word 4 hint
Sheet.
Hurdle Word 4 answer
PAPER
Final Hurdle hint
A vital organ.
Hurdle Word 5 answer
LIVER
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Entertainment
Gift the most important family member the Petlibro Automatic Pet Feeder while its on sale for under $70
SAVE $30: The Petlibro Automatic Pet Feeder (5 liter) is on sale at Amazon for $69.99, marked down from the standard price of $99.99. That’s a 30% discount.
$69.99
at Amazon
$99.99
Save $30
All pet owners know the cat or dog is arguably the most important member of the family. Taking care of their needs is a high priority. If you won’t be home during feeding times, there’s an easy way to keep pets fed, and it’s on a great sale today at Amazon.
As of Feb. 19, the five-liter Petlibro Automatic Pet Feeder is on sale at Amazon for $69.99, marked down from the standard price of $99.99. That’s a 30% discount.
The Petlibro Automatic Pet Feeder can hold five liters of food for your furry friend. Petlibro mentions that’s about a weeks worth of food for dogs and up to 20 days of meals for cats. In Mashable’s review of the best automatic pet feeders, the Petlibro earns the top spot as the best model for portion control.
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From the Petlibro app, you’ll be able to schedule up to 10 meals per day at designated times. And as an extra fun bonus, you can record a message that’ll play to your pets at each feeding time. Adding to that feature, you can record up to 10 customized messages to play during different feeding times and set each at an appropriate volume. That’ll be great for late-night cat meals when the kids are already asleep.
The pet food sits in a stainless steel container that’s designed to keep food fresh. Knowing some pets would love to sneak in an extra meal, Petlibro designed the automatic feeder with a twist locking lid.
When food is getting low, the Petlibro app will send an alert to your phone so you can top up supply before your pet misses a meal. You can also share the feeder in the app with up to five users, so several family members have access to the feeder. That’s also a great feature to share with a pet sitter when you’ll be on vacation.
While it’s on sale for under $70, upgrade to the five-liter Petlibro Automatic Pet Feeder. It’s perfect for keeping meals on scheudle without having to worry about if you’ll be home on time.
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