In graphic detail: The long road to accountability for social media platforms

Last week’s trials marked a turning point for social media. For the first time, big tech giants were held accountable for causing harm to children – and there were consequences.

First, there was the New Mexico case against Meta, in which a jury found the platform liable for violating the State’s Unfair Practices Act, and the company was fined $375 million. Then there was the California case –based on social media addiction – for which a jury found both Meta and YouTube liable for negligence, with Meta 70% responsible for the harm caused, and ordered to pay $4.2 million in damages while Alphabet (on behalf of YouTube), had to fork out $1.8 million.

Together, these rulings signal a fundamental shift – where they’ll be judged not just on the content they host, but how the platforms themselves are built and designed. And that could  impact their growth, future revenue, and more regulations.