The Intelligence from The Economist Algorithm and blues: a watershed social-media verdict
28 snips
Mar 26, 2026 
Tom Wainwright, media editor who breaks down the California social‑media verdict and its legal ripple effects. Anton La Guardia, diplomatic editor who maps how maritime choke points shape geopolitics. Alex Selby‑Boothroyd, head of data journalism who traces the global rise of animated films. They discuss platform design and liability, strategic sea lanes and risks to trade, and why animated movies now dominate the box office.
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Design Liability Beat Content Immunity
- Juries can hold platforms liable for design, not just content.
- Tom Wainwright notes a Los Angeles jury awarded $6m after internal Meta and Google documents showed features aimed to foster addiction in a plaintiff who started social media at age six.
Small Award, Big Incentive To Change Design
- The verdict could force platform design changes rather than just produce punitive payouts.
- Tom Wainwright argues $6m is trivial to Meta and Google, but mass litigation could compel removing addictive features to avoid huge liability.
Act Now On Child-Focused Features
- Regulate or redesign addictive features aimed at children now.
- Tom Wainwright cites global action: EU finding against TikTok, Australia's under-16 bans, and polls favouring limits on under-14s.