WASHINGTON: For over a decade, US lawmakers have promised guardrails for children on social media. They’ve grilled the chiefs of Meta, Snap, YouTube and TikTok about the dangers of their sites. They’ve introduced dozens of child safety bills.

Little has come from the noise.

But this week, two juries held social media companies accountable for harming young users.

In Los Angeles on Wednesday, a jury decided in favour of a plaintiff who had claimed that Meta and YouTube hooked her with addictive features – a verdict validating a novel legal strategy holding the companies accountable for personal injury. And a day earlier in New Mexico, a jury found Meta liable for violating state law by failing to safeguard users of its apps from child predators.

The landmark decisions highlight a growing backlash against social media and its effects on young people, including criticism from parents and policymakers around the globe that it is contributing to a youth mental health crisis. And they show that the push for change may finally be gaining steam.

US lawmakers said Wednesday that the verdicts underscored the need for child safety legislation. Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., called for legislators to pass their bill, the Kids Online Safety Act.