Landmark verdict sparks push for kids’ online safety
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Parents and advocates in Wisconsin and across the country are demanding legislation be passed to ensure social media safeguards for children.
The push comes after a landmark verdict last week found Meta and Google liable for a woman’s childhood social media addiction.
Victoria Hinks, a bereaved parent, shared at a recent news conference how social media experiences harmed children like hers. She emphasized the recent verdict against tech giants Meta and Google proves they made conscious decisions to harm children for profit and parents are not to blame.
"This is a victory," Hinks stressed. "We all feel vindicated but it has to be coupled with legislation because this could just be like, 'OK, this is just the cost of doing business,' and then they go back to doing it."
Advocates are calling on Congress to pass the Kids Online Safety Act, which mandates a duty of care for online platforms to prevent mental health harms and sexual exploitation. Wisconsin lawmakers are considering similar state-level legislation as part of a broader effort to introduce age-related restrictions and address addictive digital features.
Jurors in a recent case in California agreed both Meta and Google designed platforms like Instagram and YouTube to be addictive.
Mark Lanier, the plaintiff’s lawyer, noted the ruling serves as validation for the generation of people who have been affected by social media harms. He pointed out it also sets a major precedent for future cases.
"We've sent a message with this that you will be held accountable regardless of whether the children are getting sent pornographic pictures, regardless of whether they're being 'sexploitated,'" Lanier underscored. "Just because of the features alone that drive addiction, these companies can be held accountable."
Both companies plan to appeal and deny social media alone causes severe mental health issues. Lanier countered the ruling marks a significant shift toward treating the platforms as defective products and signals growing accountability for social media companies.
