Why Meta started losing in court - podcast
Katy McQue, who has spent years reporting on Meta and the potential harms its platforms pose to children, explains the tactics being used by prosecutors For years, the investigative journalist Katy McQue has been reporting on the potential harms Meta’s platforms pose to children. Yet, as she explains to Annie Kelly , despite the mountain of evidence compiled by journalists, prosecutors, bereaved…
Investigative journalist Katy McQue has been reporting on Meta's potential harms to children for years. Despite a wealth of evidence amassed by journalists, prosecutors, bereaved families, and others, bringing Meta and other social media companies to court has proven nearly impossible. However, in 2026, there appears to be a shift.
Three landmark cases have been brought against Meta in the US. In New Mexico, Katy's reporting on child sexual exploitation was cited; in California, the focus was on the mental health impacts on young people; and last week, Meta settled for $18 billion in an unprecedented case. The prosecutors in all three instances seem to have discovered a new argument against Meta, one that doesn't focus on the content published but rather on the platform's design itself.
Written by urgent.news from Guardian Technology's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
