For years, social media companies have relied on an impenetrable first amendment protection to shield them from legal claims that their products are dangerous to children.

But now, a cluster of plaintiffs are trying a different tact.

Cecilia Kang, who covers technology, explains why these new lawsuits pose an existential threat to social media giants, and how those companies are likely to defend themselves.

Guest: Cecilia Kang, a reporter covering technology and regulatory policy for The New York Times.

Background reading:

Here’s what to know about the social media addiction trials.
TikTok reached an agreement to settle a lawsuit, avoiding the first in a series of landmark trials.

Photo: David Gray/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

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