Is social media the new tobacco? Why the latest court case in California could bring big changes for Facebook, YouTube, and other platforms
27 March 2026

Is social media the new tobacco? Why the latest court case in California could bring big changes for Facebook, YouTube, and other platforms

The Daily Article

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Earlier this week, a court in California ruled that Facebook’s parent company, Meta, and Google’s YouTube were liable for damages of $4.2 million and $1.8 million, respectively, after a 20-year-old woman sued the companies for creating products that she claims led to anxiety, depression, and a host of other problems in her life. What sets the latest suit apart is that these companies were not sued for their content, they were sued for their algorithm—and that, apparently, makes a big difference. Cultural change, like how we view social media in regard to our health, often happens slowly until enough momentum gathers to bring real transformation. The same is often true in our lives as well.

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