Daily Politics from the New Statesman Ban Instagram? You must be kidding.
Mar 26, 2026
Hannah Barnes, political journalist and associate editor who covers public policy and social issues, discusses the US verdict holding Meta and Google liable and what it means for UK plans to restrict children’s social media. She explains alleged addictive design features, reviews internal memos, and outlines UK trial approaches and the political and practical hurdles around any ban.
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Kayleigh's Early Exposure And Heavy Use
- Kayleigh began YouTube at six, joined Instagram at nine, and first experienced depression and anxiety around age ten.
- In court she testified she sometimes spent up to 16 hours a day on social media, illustrating extreme early exposure.
Companies Knew And Targeted Younger Users
- Internal company documents revealed executives explicitly sought to increase teen engagement and even targeted tweens to "win big with teens."
- Memos noted 11‑year‑olds returned four times more frequently and researchers compared Instagram to a drug.
YouTube's Legal Category Complicates Policy
- Google argued YouTube isn't a social media platform and claimed minimal individual usage, but the jury still found negligence.
- That distinction complicates UK policy because a social media ban might not cover YouTube features like Shorts.