Social Media on Trial: Unpacking the Landmark 2026 Decisions
From CLEs You Actually Want to Hear by Beverly Hills Bar Association
June 8, 2026 · 1h 1m · Season 2 · Episode 139
About this episode
The episode discusses landmark 2026 verdicts against Meta and their implications for social media liability.
In the span of 24 hours in March 2026, juries returned historic verdicts against Meta in both New Mexico and Los Angeles, reshaping what platform liability looks like in practice. Eric Goldman (Santa Clara University School of Law), Jess Miers (University of Akron School of Law), and Jeremy Rosenthal (Texas Defense Firm) break down what these decisions mean for practitioners, covering the product defect theories that circumvented Section 230, what plaintiffs must prove, the pending cases to watch, the science behind the addiction framing, and the criminal defense implications for attorneys advising clients today. Participants will leave with a comprehensive understanding of the evolving legal landscape around social media liability and practical tools for advising clients in this rapidly developing area. Audio versions of Beverly Hills Bar Association programs are eligible for Self-Study CLE credit in California. Visit www.bhba.org/podcasts for more information.
People in this episode
Guests: Eric Goldman, Jess Miers, Jeremy Rosenthal
Topics covered
- social media liability
- platform liability
- legal landscape
- product defect theories
- Section 230
- criminal defense implications
- addiction framing
Keywords
- Meta
- platform liability
- legal decisions
- Section 230
- product defect
- social media
- addiction
- criminal defense
- California CLE
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Santa Clara University School of Law, University of Akron School of Law, Texas Defense Firm
Places: New Mexico, Los Angeles
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