The Meta Trial and the Limits of Protection
When safeguarding children becomes a gateway to controlling communicationThe Last WireMark Zuckerberg is in court. The headline says it’s about protecting kids from Instagram and Facebook.Don’t be naive.
This case isn’t just about teenagers. It’s about whether “child safety” becomes the justification for restructuring how adults communicate online.
When regulators say a platform’s “design” causes harm, what comes next? Algorithm mandates. Forced monitoring. Broader content controls. AI systems trained to detect and suppress “risky” speech.
And once that machinery exists, it will not stay confined to minors.
History is clear. Emergency powers expand. Surveillance tools normalize. Regulations passed for sympathetic cases rarely shrink later.
If the standard becomes potential psychological harm to some users, then everything is on the table.Video platforms. Messaging apps. Forums. Encrypted tools. Any system that influences behavior.
This isn’t about defending Meta. It’s about defending the principle that adults in a free society do not lose autonomy because lawmakers decide platforms must be made “safer.”
Precedent is power. And power, once granted, does not retreat voluntarily.
Read the full piece at The Last Wire
