‘Tech Panic’ Wins in Court, at the Expense of Free Speech

Today a California jury found Meta and Google liable for depression and anxiety suffered by a 20-year-old woman who claimed to have been addicted to social media platforms like Facebook as a child.  CEI technology policy experts called the verdict disappointing and contrary to the First Amendment.

Statement by Jessica Melugin, director of CEI’s Center for Technology and Innovation

“Today’s verdict is a disappointing example of ‘tech panic’ in place of parental responsibility. Parents are now in control of managing their children’s online screen time and content thanks to safety tools at every level of the tech stack. Instead of engorging the pockets of an already destructive plaintiff’s bar, the focus should be on educating parents to help keep their kids safe online. Hopefully, Meta and YouTube will successfully challenge this ruling.”

Statement by Alex Reinauer, CEI research fellow:

“While the mental health challenges facing young people are real and require urgent attention, speech is not a drug. Pathologizing it as such is unscientific and subverts the First Amendment. The verdict in Los Angeles formalizes this error, greenlighting a wave of litigation against editorial freedom while doing nothing to make kids safer online.”