March 31, 2026
The Washington Stand: Google, Meta Found Liable for Allowing Exploitation, Harming Mental Health of Minors
In two landmark court decisions last week, tech giants Google and Meta were found liable for inflicting mental health harms on minors by making their social media platforms intentionally addictive, and Meta was found liable for failing to protect young users from child predators. The cases are likely to open up social media companies to further personal injury lawsuits and could force Big Tech to make their platforms more friendly to children, which family advocates have been demanding for decades...
Experts like Donna Rice Hughes, who serves as president and CEO of the online safety advocacy group Enough Is Enough®, say that the rulings represent a wake-up call for social media companies. “It [was] a stellar week for children and families and a really bad week for Big Tech,” she emphasized during “Washington Watch” on Friday. “Not just Meta and not just Google, because this sends a clarion call to all these Big Tech companies that they better start putting safety over profits, or there’s going to be a big price to pay.”