Share this Story : National Post Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr

NP View: Big Tech's comeuppance

After verdict against Google and Meta, principled advertisers should put the pressure on

You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.

In California this week, a 20-year-old woman was awarded a total of US$6 million against tech giants Meta and Google because of the dangerous addictive toxicity of their social media platforms and the harm caused to young children.

The money is a drop in the bucket for the two companies. Last year, Google’s parent company, Alphabet, exceeded annual revenue of US$400 billion for the first time while Meta saw it achieve a record annual revenue of US$200 billion.

The companies have vowed to fight the court ruling and the case, along with many others in the pipeline, could drag on for years and years. Plus, Big Tech is so entrenched in our lives, in the corporate world, in politics and the whole of society, that it is unlikely to want to change willingly.

But the body of evidence appears to show, and courts are now finding, that these apps are dangerous to young people, harming their mental health, designed to be addictive and putting them at risk of predators.

It amounts to a challenge to those companies who voluntarily choose to associate themselves with a product that has been found to be dangerous to kids throughout the planet.

The power of advertising lies not just in persuading the public. Companies who choose Meta and Google to advertise now risk reputational harm by associating with them. Advertisers have it within their power to take their business elsewhere.

Principled advertisers, who would be loath to be associated with harming children, have the responsibility to protect their own brands, and in the process perhaps bring about change. Big Tech will not easily ignore the voice of advertisers.

Ads and subscriptions alone for Google’s YouTube generated revenue of US$60 billion in 2025. Meta’s Instagram has three billion users and is the main driver of the company’s growth with advertising on the platform expected to reach about US$42.5 billion in 2026.

It was YouTube and Instagram that were the focus of the landmark trial in Los Angeles that concluded last week.

A........

© National Post