UK Social Media Ban for Under-16s: What You Need to Know
The United Kingdom has announced a historic ban on social media for children under 16. Prime Minister Keir Starmer called it “a line in the sand”—a watershed moment in the global effort to protect young people from the documented harms of social media platforms. Here’s what you need to know about the law, when it […]
Mother of ChatGPT Victim Sues OpenAI—Chatbot Prioritized Engagement Over Addressing Suicide Threats
(San Francisco, CA ) – The Social Media Victims Law Center, Tech Justice Law, and Susman Godfrey have filed a lawsuit in San Francisco County Superior Court against OpenAI and Sam Altman on behalf of Kristie Carrier. The ChatGPT lawsuit alleges various legal claims grounded in product liability, negligence, wrongful death and unfair competition. The […]
Court Upholds Historic $6M Verdict Against Meta and Google for Social Media Harm to Children
In a significant victory for social media harm litigation, the Los Angeles Superior Court has denied Meta Platforms and Google’s post-trial motions to overturn the landmark K.G.M. verdict, the first social media addiction case in the United States to reach a jury, leaving intact a $6 million award—$3 million in compensatory damages and $3 million […]
A Mother’s Voice at Meta’s Shareholders Meeting: Selena Rodriguez’s Story
When Tammy Rodriguez stood before Meta’s shareholders earlier this year, she was not there as a plaintiff or a policy advocate. She was there as a mother. Her daughter, Selena, was 11 years old when she died by suicide on July 21, 2021 — the foreseeable result, her family’s lawsuit alleges, of Instagram’s dangerously defective […]
Laura Marquez-Garrett Featured in WIRED
Photograph: Vince Perry JR. The Social Media Victims Law Center (SMVLC) is recognizing Laura Marquez-Garrett’s recent profile in WIRED, which highlights her ongoing work to hold technology companies accountable and further SMVLC’s mission of creating safer online environments for children and other vulnerable users. Marquez-Garrett has played a leading role in litigation against major technology […]
Matthew P. Bergman Advises UK Government on Social Media Issues
Photograph by Andy Hall for The Observer Social Media Victims Law Center (SMVLC) founding attorney Matthew P. Bergman met with British officials in early April to discuss how social media platforms can drive compulsive use and harm mental health, particularly among children and teenagers. Bergman recently helped secure a $6 million verdict in a Los […]
Matthew P. Bergman Joins The Tech Oversight Project for Fireside Chat on Landmark Social Media Accountability Trials
On March 30th, Our Founder Matthew P. Bergman sat down with The Tech Oversight Project to discuss the landmark verdict The Social Media Victims Law Center and counsel secured in the K.G.M trial that held Meta and YouTube liable for its conduct and its implications for future lawsuits and tech accountability. Watch the full discuss […]
Matthew P. Bergmans Full Testimony on Section 230 to Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Matthew P. Bergmans Opening Testimony https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jOOQGSzC1w U.S. Senator Schatz to Matthew P. Bergman: “How Do Companies View Section 230?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8T5vCmlHmA U.S. Senator Klobuchar to Matthew P. Bergman: “How Has Section 230 Shut the Courthouse Door to So Many Parents Seeking Justice for Their Kids?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8T5vCmlHmA U.S. Senator Schmitt to Matthew P. Bergman: “Since Section 230 […]
Meta and YouTube Held Responsible for Harm to Vulnerable Users in First-of-Its-Kind Trial
A California jury has delivered a significant verdict against Meta and YouTube, awarding a total of $6 million in damages to a plaintiff who alleged that prolonged exposure to social media platforms during childhood contributed to serious mental health harm. The award includes $3 million in compensatory damages and an additional $3 million in punitive […]