Katy McQue, the journalist who has spent years investigating the potential harms of Meta’s platforms for children, told a podcast interview with Annie Kelly that prosecutors are adopting new legal tactics in efforts to bring cases against the company. Despite a large volume of reporting and evidence compiled by journalists, prosecutors and bereaved families, McQue said it has historically been difficult to secure courtroom victories against major social media firms.
She outlined how mounting public scrutiny and sustained investigative work have created a richer evidentiary base, but stressed that proving corporate responsibility in court has remained legally and practically challenging. McQue said prosecutors and campaigners are now attempting different lines of argument and gathering testimony in ways designed to meet those evidentiary hurdles.
McQue’s account highlights the evolving nature of accountability efforts: bereaved families, journalists and investigators have assembled internal documents and personal testimony that, she argued, change the shape of potential prosecutions. On the podcast, she traced how these contributions are being used by legal teams to construct cases that aim to demonstrate company conduct rather than just individual outcomes.
The conversation framed a potential turning point in how authorities approach litigation against large technology firms. If prosecutors’ revised methods continue to advance in court, the result could shift the legal landscape for Meta and other platforms, with implications for regulation, corporate practice and public debate about children’s safety online.
Listeners can hear McQue’s full discussion with Annie Kelly on the podcast, where she goes into greater detail about the investigative work and the legal strategies that she says have started to overcome barriers that previously stymied efforts to hold social media companies to account.