News
Sustainable Media Center Substack, – April 13, 2026
Maximilian Milovidov is not speaking about social media from a distance. He’s a Columbia freshman, a digital rights advocate, a member of TikTok’s Youth Council, and a NextGen Advisor working at the intersection of young users and the platforms shaping their lives. He sits in a rare position, both inside the system and deeply aware of its consequences.
And it shows up immediately in how he tells his own story.
He doesn’t describe himself as someone who eagerly joined social media. In fact, his instinct was resistance. “I did not enjoy social media platforms,” he explains. “I was kind of the one pushing back against my parents, from getting onto social media… I’d seen documentaries… and I realized the consequences that that could have on me, and I preferred not to engage in that.”
That’s not how we usually talk about Gen Z. The assumption is that they were pulled in before they could understand what they were stepping into. But here is someone who saw the risks early and tried, at least for a while, to stay out.
What changed wasn’t his understanding. It was the environment around him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgbhdE-EBRY
The Verdict That Breaks the Pattern
For years, these cases never made it this far.
They died early. Quietly. Predictably.
Motion to dismiss. Case closed. No discovery. No documents. No internal truth.
That was the system.
Last week, that system broke.
A jury found that major social media platforms could be held liable for harm, including findings of oppression, malice, or fraud. The headlines focused on the verdict. The real story is how it happened and what it unlocks next.
At the center of that shift is Laura Marquez-Garrett.
“This is exactly why I wanted to do this call,” I said in a post-verdict discussion with Laura, Frances Haugen, and others who have been working toward this moment for years. “Now we have to keep this going.”
Laura made it clear right away. The verdict is not the end. It’s the beginning.
The Verdict That Breaks the Pattern
For years, these cases never made it this far.
They died early. Quietly. Predictably.
Motion to dismiss. Case closed. No discovery. No documents. No internal truth.
That was the system.
Last week, that system broke.
A jury found that major social media platforms could be held liable for harm, including findings of oppression, malice, or fraud. The headlines focused on the verdict. The real story is how it happened and what it unlocks next.
At the center of that shift is Laura Marquez-Garrett.
“This is exactly why I wanted to do this call,” I said in a post-verdict discussion with Laura, Frances Haugen, and others who have been working toward this moment for years. “Now we have to keep this going.”
Laura made it clear right away. The verdict is not the end. It’s the beginning.
Pleasant Town Weekly, – March 30, 2026
‘Right now, millions of children are using them with no guardrails and no guarantee of safety’
State legislators from the Bay Area have introduced a bill to establish guardrails for artificial intelligence companion chatbots that are used by children.
Assemblymembers Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-San Ramon) and Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) introduced Assembly Bill 2023, while State Senator Steve Padilla (D-Chula Vista) introduced Senate Bill 1119, a similar bill in the Senate.
Among other things, the legislation prohibits AI chatbots from displaying content that is harmful to minors, requires data protection measures to secure children’s personal information, and mandates in-app crisis support features.
The bill also seeks greater accountability from companies operating the chatbots through independent audits and annual risk assessments.
The new legislation builds on Senate Bill 243, which currently governs AI chatbots in the state and was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom in October.
The 74, – March 3, 2026
Bill would protect kids’ personal information, turn off addictive product features and require companies to minimize mental health risks.
On Jan. 31, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing to address the dangers young people experience when navigating social media platforms. The emotionally charged event drew a diverse audience, featuring heart-wrenching stories that underscored the severe impact of online bullying, harassment and specifically sexual exploitation on children’s mental health and safety. Senators questioned social media executives on what, if any, steps they would commit to taking to protect young users on their platforms.
At The Jed Foundation, we advocate for a safety-first approach, aligning with the surgeon general’s advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health. We know young people find community online. What we’re hoping is that they find safe communities — and it’s time to insist that platforms prioritize children’s safety. That’s why JED has endorsed the Kids Online Safety Act, which requires social media platforms to protect young users by enabling them to protect their personal information, turn off addictive product features and opt out of receiving recommendations made by algorithms.
The bill would also require social media companies to address and minimize mental health risks to young people by more effectively controlling content that encourages self-harm, suicide, eating disorders, substance abuse and sexual exploitation. In addition, it would ensure that academic researchers and nonprofit organizations can access essential datasets in order to further explore the links between youth social media use and mental health.
