Two Canadian families join American parents in lawsuit against social media giants

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

When British Columbia teen Amanda Todd sat down in front of her computer and detailed the relentless bullying and extortion she faced on social media, it left parents around the world shocked. Now, twelve years later, her family joins others in a lawsuit alleging that these dangers to children persist online.

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

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

The lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court earlier this month on behalf of 11 families, two of them Canadian, who claim their children suffered physical and mental harm because of social media.

It alleges that some of the world’s largest technology companies deliberately developed and marketed defective products to children in order to boost engagement.

Some children have committed suicide after being victims of sexual extortion by strangers, where the person threatens to reveal compromising information or sexual 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 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 interaction rather than security,” said Matthew Bergman, the founding attorney of the Social Media Victims Law Center, which prosecuted the case.

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

Google said the allegations are untrue. Spokesman Jose Castañeda said Google developed services and policies with experts to ensure age-appropriate experiences and parental controls.

The other companies did not provide comments. Their websites usually state that they have age restrictions and do not allow harmful content. TikTok’s website says it moderates content “that includes products or activities that may be risky, addictive, dangerous, fraudulent, or otherwise requiring a higher degree of caution.”

A growing number of lawsuits are being filed against tech giants alleging that social media exposure is harming children.

Blackmail leads to suicide

The latest lawsuit cites internal documents and research, including from Facebook documents, that were released by the whistleblower. It cites metadocuments that say: “Young are the best. You want to attract people young and early.”

Todd started using Facebook in 2008. The platform was new, and her mother, like most people, believed it was for fun and security. Todd soon found himself trapped in a years-long extortion scheme.

Aydin Coban, a Dutch woman, began blackmailing Todd with a photo taken when she lifted her shirt in a chat room. His Canadian criminal trial found that Coban used 22 online aliases to stalk Todd over a two-year period, starting when she was 12 years old.

Koban was convicted of stalking and extortion in Canada. He was also convicted in the Netherlands on similar charges related to online extortion of 33 young girls and gay men.

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

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

Harry Burke turned to his father for help after a 17-year-old from Prince Edward Island sent an explicit photo on Snapchat and was extorted for money.

The lawsuit says his parents planned to go to the RCMP in the morning, but that night Burke committed suicide.

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

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

Bergman, the attorney leading the case, said the lawsuit alleges “these are dangerous products … and can be expected to harm children.”

According to Bergman, they are designed to attract more youth by showing more extreme content while encouraging them to interact more with the platform, which leads to addiction and psychological damage.

Governments shaping legislation

Concerns about the safety of social media have prompted reactions from lawmakers on both sides of the border.

Canada’s Liberal government is trying to pass online harms legislation. It has come under criticism, including from opposition conservatives who say it will create a new bureaucracy.

The US is also pushing its own Children’s Online Safety Act to create a “duty of care” – a legal term that requires companies to take reasonable steps to prevent harm. This bill passed the Senate, but what will happen in the House is less certain.

Carol Todd urged parents to take advantage of resources like the Canadian Child Advocacy Center and make sure their children know they can talk to an adult if something happens.

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

“I can’t get my child back… this is to keep other children safe.”

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

If you or someone you know is struggling, here’s where to get help:

This guide is from Center for Addiction and Mental Health describes how to talk about suicide with someone you’re worried about.