Parents Find Hope in Back-to-Back Rulings Against Social Media Providers
Parents across the United States are wondering what comes next after juries in New Mexico and Los Angeles delivered landmark verdicts, finding that social media providers have failed to protect young users. These rulings have ignited a wave of optimism among families who have long advocated for greater accountability from tech giants.
Tragic Cases Highlight Urgent Need for Change
Walker Montgomery was just 16 years old when he fell victim to a sextortion scheme on Instagram. Someone pretending to be a teenage girl messaged him, seducing him into cybersex, and within hours, the Mississippi teen took his own life. His father, Brian Montgomery, will never recover from the loss, but he joined many parents in celebrating this week's court decisions.
"We're talking about the most financially sound business that the planet has ever known. This will set an expectation," said Montgomery after the juries ruled against social media companies. He sees these verdicts as a reckoning for an industry that has prioritized profits over safety.
Legal Blows Signal a Shift in Public Perception
The first blow came on Tuesday when jurors in New Mexico sided with state prosecutors, arguing that Meta—owner of Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp—placed profits above user safety, imposing a $375 million penalty. Then, on Wednesday, jurors in a separate case in Los Angeles found that Meta and Google-owned YouTube designed their platforms to hook young users without concern for their well-being.
Both companies have issued statements vowing to explore legal options, including appeals. These verdicts illustrate a growing shift in how the public views social media companies and their responsibilities in safeguarding young people online.
Parents Advocate for Legislative Action
For years, social media firms have disputed allegations that their design choices harm children's mental health, addict kids to platforms, and fail to protect them from predators and dangerous content. With several state and federal cases heading to trial this year, parents are pushing for legislative changes.
Montgomery, though not a plaintiff in either case, emphasized that the next step must be legislation. "They've proven that they can't regulate themselves," he said of the social media industry. His son, an athlete who loved the outdoors, went to bed happy before encountering a scammer from Nigeria, leading to his tragic death in December 2022.
Heartbreaking Stories Fuel Calls for Accountability
In Dedham, Massachusetts, Deb Schmill understands the emotional turmoil these rulings bring. Her daughter, Becca Schmill, was 18 when she died of fentanyl poisoning in September 2020 after purchasing drugs through a social media platform. The teen had been sexually assaulted by someone she met online and became a victim of revenge porn.
"That's the painful part of all of this," said Schmill, who is also not a plaintiff. "If this could have been done five years ago, 10 years ago, things would be so different." Like Montgomery, she advocates for the Kids Online Safety Act, which passed the U.S. Senate two years ago but has stalled in the House.
Growing Parental Wariness and Organised Efforts
Even parents less directly affected by tragedy are growing wary. Charles Halley, dropping his son off at a school in Alameda, California, explained that his fifth-grader doesn't have a phone due to concerns about social media's harms.
"The divisiveness, the beauty standard, consumerism—just everything that's wrong with society kind of packaged up and marketed to kids," he said. Halley noted that parents are fed up and organizing to curtail these harms, though he doubts they can be stopped entirely.
He added, "People my age, younger, older, have seen what social media has done to our behavior. And I would just assume that the effect is magnified for kids whose brains are still developing." This sentiment is driving many to keep their children off social media altogether.
Long Road Ahead for Regulation and Justice
With appeals and potential settlements, the cases against social media companies could take years to resolve. Unlike in Europe and Australia, tech regulation in the United States is moving at a glacial pace, frustrating advocates.
Schmill summed it up: "We know, the parents know better than anyone that when we are unable to hold the social media companies accountable, children die. And it's just absurd that this is happening in our country." As these legal battles unfold, parents remain hopeful that change is on the horizon, even if it comes too late for some.
