{
  "id": 4708073,
  "title": "The Guardian view on regulating big tech: Meta has got off too lightly | Editorial",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/the-guardian-view-on-regulating-big-tech-meta-has-got-off-too-lightly",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-31T17:04:05.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Guardian Business",
    "slug": "guardian-business",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/aug/31/the-guardian-view-on-regulating-big-tech-meta-has-got-off-too-lightly"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The child safety measures implemented by Meta have been welcomed, but the broader concerns surrounding these platforms have not been adequately addressed. During the recent trial that concluded with an $18 billion settlement to be shared among the states and territories involved, lawyer Megan O'Neill described Meta's business model as \"hook, hold, harvest and hide.\" Her assessment accurately captures the company's strategy of capturing users' attention and data. However, the settlement agreement falls short in terms of its impact on altering Meta's practices. Despite the strengthening of child safety features, the tech giant once again avoided any admission of liability by settling the case. This decision precluded witnesses, including Instagram's CEO Adam Mosseri and whistleblowers like former safety engineer Arturo Béjar, from testifying and facing potentially damaging questions. The whistleblower's testimony revealed troubling instances, such as his daughter receiving unsolicited photos of male genitals on Instagram. It raises concerns about the platform's safety mechanisms and the potential risks to users, especially minors. While the settlement may provide some reassurance to parents regarding child safety, it does little to address the underlying issues associated with the pervasive influence and data exploitation of these platforms. Meta's willingness to settle without acknowledging liability highlights the need for more robust regulatory measures to hold big tech accountable for their actions.",
  "summary": "New child safety measures are welcome, but the wider risks posed by these platforms remain unaddressed “Hook, hold, harvest and hide” was how Megan O’Neill, a lawyer for the US state of California, characterised Meta’s business model in the trial that ended last week with an $18bn settlement, to be shared between the states and territories that brought the case. It was a clever way to describe…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}