The Lawyer Holding Big Tech Accountable by ‘Beating the Tar Out of Them’ in Court
As social media giants face allegations that they fail to protect users, attorney Mark Lanier is grappling with the question: What would it actually take to hold companies accountable?
"I think it just takes beating the tar out of them," Lanier told WIRED senior correspondent Lauren Goode at the WIRED World Fair on Wednesday.
Lanier was the lead attorney in the first social media addiction case to go to trial, which resulted in a verdict against Meta and Google in March. The plaintiff was awarded $6 million in damages—a symbolic victory, but a rounding error in terms of the tech giants’ bottom lines.
Lanier said lawsuits in which attorneys general represent their states have the potential to orchestrate significant change, alongside greater financial repercussions. In a case that went to trial in August, attorneys general across several states—including Arkansas, where Lanier’s firm served as outside counsel—accused Meta of...
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