Now we’ll see whether it works, specialists on technology law say.
Meta decided on Aug. 26 to settle a lawsuit brought by dozens of state attorneys general for nearly $18 billion over claims that it endangered the physical and mental health of children and teens with its addictive social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram.
In addition to the payout, Meta agreed to modify a number of design features that critics and researchers say encourage excessive use as well as those that psychologists say lead users to making unhealthy negative social comparisons between themselves and peers or influencers.
The recent Meta case was being closely watched by legal experts and is considered a bellwether. But legal scholars note that it is just one of thousands still pending against social media companies.
In this edited discussion, the Gazette asked Leah Plunkett ’01, J.D. ’06, Meyer Research Lecturer on Law at Harvard Law School and a faculty associate at the Berkman Klein Center (BKC), and Christian Sandvig, a BKC fellow who studies the ethics of information technology and is part of the Center’s new AI & Youth Safety Initiative, about their take on the agreement.
