<
https://connectsafely.org/beyond-the-verdict-holding-big-tech-accountable-isnt-as-simple-as-it-seems/>
"On March 24, 2026, a jury awarded the State of New Mexico $375 million in its
case against Meta over allegations that the company misled users and failed to
adequately protect children from harm. The next day, a Los Angeles jury found
Meta (Instagram) and Google (YouTube) liable for harm to a young woman’s mental
health, tied to her use of the platforms, beginning when she was a child. Both
Meta and Google plan to appeal.
I have mixed feelings about these verdicts, which I’ll get to shortly. First, I
need to acknowledge my own conflict of interest. Google and Meta are among the
companies that help support ConnectSafely, the non-profit internet safety
organization where I serve as CEO. Over the years, we have worked very closely
with staff assigned to child protection, serving on a variety of safety
advisory councils and providing feedback on current and proposed projects. We
have produced parent guides, videos and other content designed to provide
safety information for users and caregivers.
Almost everyone I’ve worked with in these trust and safety roles cares deeply
about child safety and works hard to recommend ways to make their platforms as
safe as possible. But they face headwinds, including CEOs and other senior
executives who are focused on generating profits and keeping shareholders
happy.
But it’s not just about profit. There are also other factors at play, including
the need to balance competing rights and interests. Experts from various
advocacy and safety groups who advise these companies sometimes express
concerns about proposed safety measures that might have unintended
consequences."
Via Esther Schindler.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
