Big Tech critics hail ‘Big Tobacco moment’ in landmark social media verdict

By CNN Newsource

Published March 25, 2026 1:41 pm

By Brian Stelter, CNN

(CNN) — For critics of tech companies like Meta and Google, Wednesday’s verdict in the social media addiction trial has been literally years in the making.

Parents, child safety experts and some lawmakers said the finding of liability was a long-overdue moment of accountability.

“For the parents whose children died as a result of social media harms, today’s verdict is a huge step toward truth, justice, and accountability,” Sarah Gardner, the CEO of Heat Initiative, a three-year-old group that says it exists to “turn up the heat on Big Tech.”

Gardner argued that Wednesday’s verdict from a Los Angeles jury “is social media’s Big Tobacco moment — the harm these companies intentionally cause children has been proven in a court of law.”

Alvaro Bedoya, a Biden-era FTC commissioner, wrote on X that “a jury of regular people has managed to do what Congress and even state legislatures have not: Hold Meta and Google accountable for addicting young people to their products.”

The trial centered on claims that the tech giants deliberately designed their platforms with addictive features that keep young users hooked and damage their well-being.

Both companies have invested heavily in safety tools for younger users and dispute claims that their platforms are to blame for teen mental health issues.

“We respectfully disagree with the verdict and will appeal,” Meta said in a statement on Wednesday. “Teen mental health is profoundly complex and cannot be linked to a single app. We will continue to defend ourselves vigorously as every case is different, and we remain confident in our record of protecting teens online.”

Google similarly said it will appeal. “This case misunderstands YouTube, which is a responsibly built streaming platform, not a social media site,” spokesperson José Castañeda said in a statement.

In the case, the plaintiff, identified as Kaley, or KGM, alleged that compulsive use of the platforms caused her to develop anxiety, body dysmorphia and suicidal thoughts.

Jonathan Haidt, the author of “The Anxious Generation” and one of the best-known proponents of phone-free schools, said that thanks to the jury’s finding, “we are in a new world: a new era in the fight to protect children from online harms.”

Haidt said the outcome of the civil trial “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.”

He added, “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.”

Numerous parents who have attributed their children’s untimely deaths to social media attended the trial in L.A. and called attention to what they say is an ongoing threat to families around the world.

Parents for Safe Online Spaces, a group that has been pushing Congress to pass the Kids Online Safety Act, said Wednesday that the jury’s decision was a “rare and momentous win” in a years-long fight.

“Finally, a jury said, enough,” the group said. “Social media companies can no longer behave with such callous disregard for the health and well-being of their youngest users. Finally, they are being made to pay a price for their greed.”

The Kids Online Safety Act has existed in various forms for several years but has yet to advance out of Congress. It requires tech platforms to provide multiple safeguards for minors.

Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn, one of the many lawmakers who have advocated for the bill, said Wednesday’s verdict should propel the bill forward: “Now that Big Tech has been found liable for the harms they have pushed on our kids, it’s time for Congress to enshrine protections for American families into law by passing the Kids Online Safety Act.”

And Democratic Sen. Ed Markey, who has pushed his own child online safety bill, said the verdict should spur congressional action. “Big Tech’s Big Tobacco moment has arrived,” Markey said. “We cannot rely on the courthouse alone — Congress must do its part to impose real guardrails on these platforms.”

Clare Duffy contributed reporting.