Woman whose son died from drugs bought on social media celebrates verdicts against Meta, YouTube
AP News • • business
Key Points:
- A Colorado woman, Kimberly Osterman, whose son Max died from a fentanyl-laced pill bought through Snapchat, praised recent jury verdicts holding Meta and YouTube liable for harms to children on their platforms.
- Juries in Los Angeles and New Mexico found Meta and YouTube responsible for designing platforms that hook young users and for knowingly harming children's mental health, with Meta planning to appeal the decisions.
- Snapchat's parent company, Snap Inc., and TikTok settled lawsuits related to similar claims before trials began, with settlement details undisclosed.
- Osterman, part of the advocacy group Parents for Safe Online Spaces, supports federal legislation like the Kids Online Safety Act, which would require social media companies to implement stronger protections for minors.
- The verdicts signal increased legal accountability for social media companies and may lead to more lawsuits and regulatory efforts to improve online safety for children.
