Two Canadian families are joining American parents in a lawsuit against social media giants

WARNING: This article contains discussion of suicide and sexual extortion.

When BC teenager Amanda Todd sat down in front of her computer and detailed the relentless bullying and extortion she faced on social media, it sent shockwaves through parents everywhere. Now, twelve years later, her family joins others in a lawsuit alleging that children are still at risk online.

Just weeks after the viral video was posted, 15-year-old Todd died by suicide in October 2012.

“Why aren’t children’s lives safer?” her mother, Carol Todd, asked in an interview in Port Coquitlam. “Why are more children getting hurt?”

The lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court earlier this month on behalf of 11 families – two of whom are Canadian – who claim their children have suffered physical and psychological harm because of social media platforms.

It alleges that some of the world’s largest technology companies knowingly designed and marketed defective products to children to increase interactions.

Some children took their own lives after being targeted by strangers in a sexual extortion scheme in which the person threatened to reveal sexual information or images. Others developed eating disorders or depression and had to be hospitalized.

The lawsuit names tech giants Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok’s parent company ByteDance, Discord and Google, which owns YouTube.

“What happened to these children was neither an accident nor a coincidence. This was the predictable result of thoughtful design decisions they make to maximize engagement rather than safety,” said Matthew Bergman, founding attorney of the Law Center for Victims of Social Media, which is prosecuting the case.

“They make money by selling ads to children and children’s data.”

Google said the allegations were false. Spokesman José Castañeda said Google worked with experts to create services and policies to provide age-appropriate services and parental controls.

The other companies did not comment. Their websites usually state that they have age restrictions and prohibit harmful content. The TikTok website says it moderates content “that involves goods or activities that may be risky, addictive, dangerous, fraudulent, or otherwise require increased caution.”

An increasing number of lawsuits have been filed against tech giants alleging that children are harmed by their exposure to social media.

Blackmail leads to suicide

The latest lawsuit points to internal documents and research, including: from the Facebook Papers that the whistleblower published. He quotes the Meta documents, which read: “Young people are the best. You want people to come to your service young and early.”

Todd started using Facebook in 2008. The platform was new and her mother, like most people, believed it was designed to be fun and safe. Todd soon found himself trapped in years of extortion.

Aydin Coban, who is Dutch, began blackmailing Todd with a photo taken when she lifted her shirt during a conversation. His Canadian criminal trial alleges that Coban used 22 online aliases to harass Todd for two years, starting when she was 12.

Coban was convicted of harassment and extortion in Canada. He was also convicted in the Netherlands on similar charges of extorting 33 young girls and gay men online.

The lawsuit alleges that Meta could have taken several steps to make its product safer for minors and prevent strangers from contacting children.

The lawsuit includes the family of another Canadian teenager who died more than a decade after Todd’s case made national headlines.

Harry Burke turned to his father for help after a 17-year-old Prince Edward Island youth sent a racy photo on Snapchat and was sexually assaulted for money.

The lawsuit says his parents planned to go to the RCMP in the morning, but that evening Burke died by suicide.

The lawsuit also represents American parents who say their children have become depressed and suicidal because of social media platforms.

US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said earlier this year that the mental health crisis among young people is an emergency “and social media has emerged as an important contributory factor,” calling for a tobacco-style warning label on the platforms.

Bergman, the attorney handling the case, said the lawsuit argues that “these are dangerous products … and can predictably harm children.”

They aim to increase youth engagement by showing more extreme material and encouraging them to interact more with the platform, Bergman said, leading to addiction and psychological harm.

Governments creating legislation

Concerns about social media security have sparked a response from lawmakers on both sides of the border.

Canada’s Liberal government is trying to pass an Internet Injury Compensation Act. This has been met with criticism, including from opposition conservatives who say it will create a new bureaucracy.

The United States is also continuing to work on its own Children’s Online Safety Act to create a “duty of care” – a legal term requiring companies to take reasonable steps to prevent harm. The bill passed the Senate, but it’s less certain what will happen in the House.

Carol Todd encouraged parents to contact agencies like the Canadian Center for Child Protection and make sure their children know they can talk to an adult if something happens.

She said it’s important to join other families in the lawsuit to make social media safer for children.

“I can’t bring my baby back… I’m doing this to keep other children safe.”

---

Support is available to anyone who has experienced sexual violence. Through it you can access crisis lines and local support services Government of Canada website or Canadian Ending Violence Association Database. If you are in immediate danger or concerned for your safety or the safety of others nearby, call 911.

If you or someone you know is struggling, you can find help here:

This guide with Center for Addiction and Mental Health describes how to talk about suicide with the person you are worried about.