Curbing social media to protect kids online could backfire |
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Curbing social media to protect kids online could backfire
Efforts to rein in the negative aspects of kids online could usher in a new era of censorship, without helping kids
Published April 16, 2026 6:30AM (EDT)
Almost everyone who is glued to their phone wishes they weren’t and for many people, the problem seems to be starting earlier. Children’s access to the internet is happening at younger ages, with an entire generation growing up alongside the rapid advancement of the digital landscape, which has only intensified with the advent of artificial intelligence. Teens and adults alike can be exposed to extremist content, violence and sexual exploitation online. The internet age has had countless positive impacts on society, but also undeniable negative impacts.
Some critics say social media addiction and worsened teen mental health are direct consequences of these platform’s design. Now they’re taking major tech companies to court — and winning. A few such groups include the plaintiffs in two tandem lawsuits against Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp, whose jury trials concluded in favor of the plaintiffs March 24 and 25. Meta plans to appeal the verdicts in both cases.
What complicates the social media trials is there are bona fide problems young people face when logging online and seeking retribution feels natural. However, critics say the short term gratification of Meta’s losses is a Trojan horse for much more insidious internet policies that may actually do the opposite of protecting children and give even more market power to Big Tech.
Though support for protecting children online is widely bipartisan, organizations like the Heritage Foundation are very opaque in their desire to create a more censored internet. The organization, which was architect of President Donald Trump’s Project 2025, endorses the popular Kids Online Safety Act because it will “guard against the harms of sexual and transgender content.”
These organization’s version of increased internet safety are largely anti-LGBT , anti-immigration and, some argue, support shadowy agendas beyond children’s mental health. Regardless, people across the political spectrum are flocking to the legislation following the lawsuits calling it a win against Big Tech and comparing the social media cases to the landmark tobacco class action lawsuits of the 1990s, not just because they attempt to take down a big industry, but because of their specific legal strategy — product liability.
One trial held in California’s Superior Court focused on a single plaintiff, referred to by their initials KGM. Her trial........