Major cases are shining a national spotlight on Big Tech’s responsibility to protect children as courts, lawmakers, and families confront the growing toll of online exploitation and addictive platform design. The cases include New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez’s case against Meta in state court, and a Los Angeles trial accusing Meta and Google-owned YouTube of fueling social media addiction in young users.

Below are just a few of the highlights and takeaways:

• Internal Meta documents unsealed ahead of the NM trial revealed that a researcher for Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, warned executives at the tech giant that there may be upward of 500,000 cases of sexual exploitation of minors per day on the social media platforms.

• Unsealed filings in the NM case reference 7.5 million child sexual abuse material reports that allegedly wouldn’t be disclosed after Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s decision, announced in 2019, to make Facebook Messenger end-to-end encrypted by default. 

• More than 1,600 plaintiffs — including 350+ families and 250+ school districts — are suing the owners of Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Snap in Los Angeles, alleging addictive design features harmed youth mental health.

• The lead plaintiff in the Los Angeles trial, identified as KGM, alleges compulsive use of YouTube and Instagram beginning in childhood led to depression and suicidal thoughts, with attorneys comparing platform design to “digital casinos,” adding the app’s “endless scroll feature” creates dopamine hits that can lead to addiction.

In other shocking news, an 18-year-old senior at Peters Township High School in Pennsylvania was arrested and charged with more than 300 felony counts in connection with an alleged catfishing and sextortion scheme that targeted at least 20 minors, police say. Authorities allege the student used fake social media accounts on platforms like TikTok and Snapchat to pose as adults and coerce teenage boys, some as young as 14, into sending explicit images or producing compromising videos, and in some cases demanded money to prevent their distribution.

This case is a sobering reminder that online exploitation is not a distant threat—it is happening in our schools and communities, underscoring the urgent need for prevention, education, and accountability.

In this episode of 'Internet Safety with Donna Rice Hughes': Donna is joined by Mary Graw Leary, a professor of law at the Catholic University Columbus School of Law, and Haley McNamara, Executive Director and Chief Strategy Officer at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation. 

They delve into the critical issues surrounding child online exploitation, the role of government and big tech regulation, and the implications of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. They discuss current legislative efforts, growing threats posed by AI and offer practical steps that parents and lawmakers can take to ensure a safer digital environment for children.

I can’t think of another industry that can cause so much harm… and yet they’ve successfully managed to avoid accountability—at the cost of our children.” --Mary Graw Leary, The Catholic University of America

This status quo has to change. It’s heartbreaking when survivors’ cases are thrown out because tech companies claim immunity." 

--Hailey McNamara, National Center on Sexual Exploitation 

As Section 230 turns 30 years old, we are calling on Congress to repeal this law. It is time for Big Tech’s immunity to end, and for the safety and dignity of children to become a priority, not an afterthought.

-- ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

'Internet Safety with Donna Rice Hughes' is available on our podcast page or your preferred platform. Hosted by Donna Rice Hughes, President and CEO of Enough Is Enough^®®, this podcast provides parents and guardians with up-to-date information, tips, and expert insights on topics like online predators, sex trafficking, pornography, social media, online gaming, Big Tech accountability, and child protection legislation."

*** If you enjoyed today’s episode, please take a moment to give us a high rating wherever you access podcasts! 

Don’t forget—our InternetSafety101.org website offers free, practical resources and navigable guides to help educate, equip, empower and engage parents and caregivers in today’s digital landscape with confidence. Visit our resource page for expert tips, prevention tools, and step-by-step guidance to better protect your children online.

GOVERNMENT ACTION NEEDED TO PROTECT KIDS ONLINE

• Enough Is Enough^®® stands in strong support of critical child online safety legislation, including the ECCHO Act, the Stop Sextortion Act, and the SAFE Act, which are being considered by the Senate Judiciary Committee this week.

These bipartisan bills, introduced by Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Dick Durbin (D-IL), aim to strengthen federal laws by updating sentencing for online child abuse, targeting criminal networks preying on children, and cracking down on coercion and sextortion, underscoring the urgent need for lawmakers to modernize legal protections and better safeguard children across social media, gaming, and digital platforms. See their press statement here. as well as EIE's statement of support (see below) highlighted by the office of Senator Grassley in the statement.

• A lawsuit against Twitter (now "X) by the National Center on Sexual Exploitation centers on allegations that the platform knowingly facilitated the sex trafficking of two minor boys and allowed the possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) involving them. Despite claims that such criminal conduct should fall outside Section 230 immunity, lower courts have ruled in Twitter’s favor — prompting a petition to the U.S. Supreme Court to clarify whether federal liability protections apply in cases involving alleged trafficking and exploitation of children. Stay tuned for updates!

The mounting evidence from courtrooms, classrooms, and communities across the country makes one thing unmistakably clear: voluntary promises from Big Tech are not enough. Without meaningful legal reform and enforceable standards, children will continue to bear the consequences of unchecked platform design, weak safeguards, and corporate immunity.

In the meantime, parents must remain vigilant about their children’s online activity, have ongoing conversations about digital safety, and partner with organizations like Enough Is Enough^®—please consider making a donation today to help us continue protecting children from online exploitation and abuse.