Colorado mother hails landmark verdicts against Meta and YouTube over online harms

A Colorado mother, Kim Osterman, celebrated juries’ verdicts holding Meta and YouTube liable for harms to children by designing platforms that hook young users, after her son Max died from a fentanyl-laced pill bought through social media. The Los Angeles trial found both companies liable; a separate New Mexico verdict found Meta knowingly harmed children’s mental health and concealed exploitation. Snapchat and TikTok also reached settlements earlier this year. Osterman, part of Parents for Safe Online Spaces, advocates stricter guardrails such as age verification and supports federal Kids Online Safety Act, while platforms say they may appeal.