Social Media Safety: Laws and Lawsuits

Introduction

Social media platforms have transformed communication, education, and entertainment. However, concerns about privacy, child exploitation, addictive design, and youth mental health have led to increased legal action against technology companies. Recently, there were lawsuits that further examined the liability of these platforms. Both Meta Platforms, Inc., the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, and Google, the owner of YouTube, faced significant legal challenges in the United States that will most likely change their social media structure.

The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act

The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (commonly known as “COPPA”), protects children under thirteen. It generally requires online services directed toward children to obtain verifiable parental consent before collecting, using, or disclosing a child’s personal information. COPPA also gives parents the right to review or delete their children’s information. Updated Federal Trade Commission rules strengthen these protections by limiting the retention of children’s data and requiring separate parental consent for targeted advertising and certain disclosures to third parties. (Federal Trade Commission). A limitation of COPPA is that it mainly protects children under thirteen. Teenagers between thirteen and seventeen may still experience serious risks, including cyberbullying, sexual exploitation, manipulation, and mental-health harms, without receiving the same level of federal protection.

Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act

Section 230 generally prevents online platforms from being treated as the publisher of content created by users. It also protects platforms when they voluntarily remove offensive or harmful material. (47 U.S.C. § 230). This protection has helped social-media companies manage enormous amounts of user-generated content. However, Section 230 does not provide unlimited immunity. It does not eliminate liability for federal criminal conduct, intellectual-property violations, or certain sex-trafficking claims. Recent lawsuits have also attempted to distinguish between harmful user content and the companies’ own product-design decisions.

Consumer-Protection Laws

The Federal Trade Commission Act prohibits unfair or deceptive acts or practices in commerce. The Federal Trade Commission may act when a company misrepresents its privacy protections, safety procedures, or data practices. (Federal Trade Commission). State consumer-protection statutes are also important. These laws may prohibit companies from misleading consumers about the risks of their products or concealing information that would affect a consumer’s decision to use a service.

Product-Liability and Negligence Law

Recent lawsuits against social-media companies have increasingly relied on product-liability and negligence theories. Under these theories, plaintiffs argue that the problem is not merely the content posted by users, but the design of the platform itself. These lawsuits are based on features such as infinite scrolling, autoplay, personalized recommendations, beauty filters, push notifications, and “like” counts are alleged to encourage excessive use and expose young users to harmful material. This approach attempts to avoid Section 230 by focusing on how the companies designed and operated their services.

In State ex rel. Torrez v. Meta Platforms, Inc., No. D-101-CV-2023-02838 (N.M. 1st Jud. Dist. Ct. Aug. 6, 2026), Meta was found liable under New Mexico’s Unfair Practices Act for allegedly misleading consumers and failing to protect children, resulting in approximately $942 million in penalties and court-ordered remedies. In People of the State of California v. Meta Platforms, Inc., No. 4:23-cv-05448 (N.D. Cal. filed 2023), California and a coalition of states reached a proposed settlement with Meta worth up to $17 billion over allegations that Facebook and Instagram encouraged compulsive use, harmed young users, and collected children’s data without proper consent; the proposed agreement includes age-verification measures, usage limits, nighttime restrictions, parental controls, and independent monitoring. Together, these cases suggest that judicial decisions and settlements may increasingly serve as practical indicators of emerging industry standards for social-media safety, although they do not yet establish uniform nationwide rules.

Conclusion

Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube connect people and provide opportunities for communication, education, and entertainment. However, concerns have increased about children’s privacy, harmful content, excessive use, and mental-health effects. Laws such as COPPA, consumer-protection statutes, and Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act regulate different aspects of social media, although protections remain limited and inconsistent. Recent lawsuits against Meta show that companies may be held responsible for misleading users, collecting children’s data, or designing platforms in ways that encourage harmful or compulsive use. These cases may help establish future standards for social-media safety and corporate responsibility.

This article is for Information purposes only.