Isabel Garcia

Victory in the social media trial in LA! As of today, we are in a new world: a new era in the fight to protect children from online harms. A jury sided with Kaley and therefore with millions of children: Big Tech is harming kids on an industrial scale. For years, parents were told these harms were exaggerated, anecdotal, or simply the unavoidable cost of growing up online. Today, a jury affirmed what parents have long known: Meta and YouTube were designed to exploit young people, with devastating consequences. For the first time, the law aligns with common sense: social media companies no longer have a special exemption to harm children with impunity. Their shield is gone. They will be treated like any industry that knowingly harms children and lies about it. History will judge them as harshly as the tobacco industry. This bellwether case tested a new legal theory: the harm is not just what algorithms show children, but rather that these products were designed to foster addiction. The companies knew they were harming children by the millions—and did it anyway. They were negligent and dishonest. This outcome belongs first and foremost to the families, especially the many parents who, in the face of unimaginable loss, chose to speak out, demand accountability, and endure a painful legal process so that other children might be spared. This is just the beginning. Thousands of cases will follow, bringing Meta, Snap, TikTok, and YouTube to court. Much work remains in courts, legislatures, schools, and communities. But for now, let us all just savor the long-awaited arrival of justice. nytimes.com/2026/03/25/techn…