See ehn, na serious matter wey dey ground for Los Angeles as di biggest social media companies dey face landmark trials dis year! Dem go fit hold dem responsible for wetin dem don cause children wey dey use dia platforms. Dem sabi say dis trial fit change everything!
Na Instagram’s parent company, Meta, and Google’s YouTube wey dey face di first claims wey dem don file. Di parents of plenty pikin don dey talk say dem platforms dey addict children and dey harm dem badly. And e no stop there, them don add TikTok and Snap to di case because dem dey roll with di allegations wey dey surround addiction to dis apps.
Sacha Haworth wey be executive director for Tech Oversight Project don talk say, “Dis na just di first case — plenty parents and schools don dey prepare to enter court to talk about wetin Big Tech dey do to our children!” As di opening arguments dey go gree road, one 19-year-old girl wey dem dey call KGM go dey di basis of dis whole trial. Her story fit set precedent for plenty other cases wey dey wait to drop their anchor.
KGM dey claim say social media don make her dey addicted from when she small, causing her depression and suicidal thoughts. Di lawsuit dey suggest say na deliberate actions of di companies make dem products too addictive for children, just to push profits. If dis claim fit work, e go bypass di companies’ First Amendment protection wey dey prevent liability for di content wey users dey post.
Dem don draw comparisons with di Big Tobacco trials wey happen some time ago, wey wey unreservedly lead to settlements wey go cost billions. According to di lawsuit, “Di plaintiffs no bi collateral damage; dem na di direct victims of di harmful choices dem make.” Di case go last for six to eight weeks, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg go dey expected to enter di box come give testimony.
But Meta and Google don drop plenty security measures to counter di claims, saying di issue dey complex and dey involve more than just social media. Dem talk say “no be only social media na di cause of teenage mental health struggles.” Parents wey don complain about harm social media don cause dem pikin, dem wan make social media companies dey accountable for all di wahala wey dey unfold.
For di other side, Attorney General for New Mexico don file another separate suit against Meta for failing to safeguard children from sexual exploitation. Dem just dey show how di platforms dey push harmful content through their algorithms. Every day, about 100,000 children dey expose to sexual harassment for Meta’s platforms according to internal documents!
As dis court session dey unfold, plenty eyes go dey on KGM case as e fit be di first of many wey go change di game entirely. Di trial fit unveil how Big Tech dey prioritize profit over safety, an experience wey plenty families don dey suffer because of di addictive designs of social media platforms.
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