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 families and others, it has been nearly impossible to bring Meta and other social media companies to court.
Finally, in 2026, something seems to have changed. Already three landmark cases have brought Meta to trial in the US: in New Mexico, which cited Katy’s reporting on child sexual exploitation; in California, about the mental health harms to young people; and last week, an unprecedented case that Meta settled for $18bn.
In all three, prosecutors seem to have found a new way to argue against Meta; an argument based not on the content it publishes, but on the very design of its platforms.
