Subway Surfing Suit Against Meta and TikTok: Setting the Stage for Social Media Liability

September 1st, 2025|Categories: Emerging Litigation & Risk, HB Tort Notes, Journal, New Featured Post for Home Page, News|Tags: , , , , |

Social media platforms are under mounting legal pressure as courts scrutinize how algorithms amplify dangerous viral trends. In Nazario v. ByteDance Ltd., a New York judge allowed a wrongful death lawsuit against Meta and TikTok to move forward after a teen died attempting a “subway surfing” stunt allegedly promoted by their platforms. In this article, Tom Hagy examines how the decision challenges long-standing Section 230 protections and signals a shift toward treating social media as potentially defective products when design and targeting harm young users. This case—and others involving viral challenges and youth safety—may redefine platform liability for years to come.

Federal court rejects First Amendment defense in chatbot wrongful death case

June 26th, 2025|Categories: Complex Business Litigation, Technology Law|Tags: , , , , |

As generative AI tools grow more sophisticated—and more personal—the legal system is being forced to confront their potential harms. Guest contributor Justin Ward explores a chilling case against Character AI, where the mother of a teenage user is suing the company after her son took his own life. The boy had become fixated on an AI-generated version of a Game of Thrones character. In a significant ruling, a federal judge refused to dismiss the case on First Amendment grounds, challenging assumptions about whether AI output qualifies as protected speech—and raising urgent questions about AI accountability, user vulnerability, and the boundaries of tech company liability.

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