The year 2026 has become costly for social media giants. Since March, platforms like YouTube and Meta, which owns Instagram and Facebook, have faced legal challenges. They have paid or settled lawsuits totaling over US$17 billion. These cases focus on claims of negligence, accusations that they design their platforms to be addictive for children, and concerns about misleading the public on safety and privacy issues.
If current lawsuits reflect a trend, more legal actions could be on the horizon as states and the public scrutinize these platforms.
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