Last week, two US courts for the first time found Meta and Google (YouTube) liable for inflicting harm on users and for violating consumer protection law. These judgments come at a time when European digital policy is under geopolitical pressure and, at the same time, social media bans for children and adolescents are being discussed in several countries, including Germany. These rulings therefore have a signalling effect on Europe, and initial reactions have already placed great hope in them. Human rights organisations celebrated them as a ‘watershed’ for big tech accountability. The rulings were based on consumer protection law and negligence (tort law) and did not address potential violations of constitutional rights. Nonetheless, they could arguably be a potential driver for human rights litigation … (more)
[Nora Hertz, Verfassungsblog, 2 April 2026]
Leave a Reply