Social Media Victims Lawyer Up with Laura Marquez-Garrett

Social media was humanity’s ‘first contact’ moment with AI. If
we’re going to create laws that are strong enough to prevent AI
from destroying our societies, we could benefit from taking a
look at the major lawsuits against social media platforms that
are playing out in our courts right now.


In our last episode, we took a close look at Big Food and its
dangerous “race to the bottom” that parallels AI. We continue
that theme this week with an episode about litigating social
media and the consequences of the race to engagement in order to
inform how we can approach AI harms. 


Our guest, attorney Laura Marquez-Garrett, left her predominantly
defense-oriented practice to join the Social Media Victims Law
Center in February 2022. Laura is literally on the front lines of
the battle to hold social media firms accountable for the harms
they have created in young people’s lives for the past
decade. 


Listener warning: there are distressing and potentially
triggering details within the episode.


Correction: Tristan refers to the Social Media Victims Law Center
as a nonprofit legal center. They are a for-profit law firm.


RECOMMENDED MEDIA 


1) If you're a parent whose child has been impacted by social
media, Attorneys General in Colorado, New Hampshire, and
Tennessee are asking to hear your story. Your testimonies can
help ensure that social media platforms are designed safely for
kids. For more information, please visit the respective state
links.


Colorado


New Hampshire


Tennessee

2) Social Media Victims Law Center
A non-profit legal center that was founded in 2021 in response to
the testimony of Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen


3) Resources for Parents & Educators


Overwhelmed by our broken social media environment and wondering
where to start? Check out our Youth Toolkit plus three actions
you can take today


4) The Social Dilemma
Learn how the system works. Watch and share The Social
Dilemma with people you care about


RECOMMENDED YUA EPISODES 


Transcending the Internet Hate Game with Dylan Marron


A Conversation with Facebook Whistleblower Frances Haugen


Behind the Curtain on The Social Dilemma with Jeff
Orlowski-Yang and Larissa Rhodes

Your Undivided Attention is produced by the Center for
Humane Technology. Follow us on Twitter: @HumaneTech_