The Observer.

Hello, I'm Alexi Mostris, and you're listening to Slow Newscast Extra, a new show every Thursday about a story that we just can't stop thinking about.

And this week, I'm thinking about a 20-year-old woman called Kaylee.

Kaylee has major mental health problems, problems exacerbated by her use of social media.

In 2023, Kaylee sued Meta and Google, and in March, she received $6 million in damages.

On the one hand, this isn't a big deal.

Meta and Google have both paid out far larger sums of money before.

But the case is pivotal because the jury found that both companies were negligent in the design of their platforms.

The built-in features of YouTube and Instagram,

features like Infinite Scroll,

AutoPlay, the recommendation system,

these features can cause harm to users,

especially to children.

Social media companies are usually shielded

from liability for content posted by third parties,

but this case isn't about content. It's about design. For years, social media has operated in a free-for-all.

Kaylee's case feels like our creaking regulatory and court systems are finally catching up. Maybe.

And that's great, but it also feels a bit par-say.

After all, it's been 23 years since Facebook launched, 16 years since Instagram.

And now AI is beginning to have an even greater impact on our lives than social media.

So what I wanted to know is what does Kaylee's case teach us about

how to regulate big tech going forward? Can we ensure that the same mistakes aren't made again?

...