Trials Probe Tech Companies’ Responsibility for Sexual Assaults and Abuse
This Tech Litigation Roundup gathers and briefly analyzes notable lawsuits and court decisions across a variety of tech-and-law issues.
Each roundup in 2026 will dive deep into a major development with expert analysis from TJL legal fellow, Maddy Batt. This month’s focus are recent developments in lawsuits concerning sexual assault and abuse allegedly facilitated by tech products, including rideshare app Uber.
Here is an excerpt:
The first bellwether social media addiction trial in Los Angeles drew significant attention in February. But two other major trials in cases against Uber and Meta could have similarly important implications for tech accountability, particularly for survivors of sexual violence.
On Feb. 5, an Arizona jury reached a verdict for the plaintiff in the first bellwether trial of a multi-district litigation against Uber related to passenger sexual assaults. Uber argued that it was not responsible for sexual assaults committed by its drivers, whom it classifies as independent contractors. A jury disagreed, awarding $8.5 million in compensatory damages to Jaylynn Dean, who said she was raped by her Uber driver in November 2023. The jury’s decision and the theories of liability they rejected will shape future litigation against rideshare apps and inform broader debates about liability in tech litigation involving third-party harm.
Meanwhile, in New Mexico, the first standalone trial by state prosecutors against Meta is underway. The lawsuit by the New Mexico Attorney General echoes the LA social media addiction case by foregrounding the youth mental health harms allegedly caused by platforms’ addictive design. But the New Mexico case goes further, alleging that Meta’s apps created a “breeding ground” for child sexual exploitation while publicly misrepresenting its platforms as safe.
Continue reading February’s Roundup on Tech Policy Press.
Roundup of other tech litigation developments:
- K.G.M. Bellwether Trial: The first bellwether trial of the California coordinated proceeding on social media addiction was the biggest story in tech litigation this month. CEO Mark Zuckerberg was cross-examined at trial.
- DHS Sued for Abuse of Surveillance Tech: Legal observers in Maine filed a class action lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security, alleging the agency used surveillance technology to intimidate and punish them for exercising their First Amendment right to observe immigration agents.
- Utah’s Age Verification Law Challenged: The Computer and Communications Industry Association sued to invalidate Utah’s age verification law as a violation of the First Amendment and Commerce Clause.
- Radio Host Sues Over Alleged AI Impersonation: NPR radio host David Greene sued Google for using an artificially generated voice on NotebookLM, its podcast-generating AI tool, that he alleges clearly resembles his own. In statements to the press, Greene emphasized that the harm of hearing his voice used without his consent––including for the spread of disinformation––felt deeper and more personal than a loss of financial opportunity. (TJL’s policy work on digital likeness seeks to expand legal protections against AI impersonation to reflect these broader, non-commercial harms.)
- NAACP Threatens Lawsuit Over xAI Data Center: The NAACP sent xAI a Notice of Intent to Sue, alleging that xAI is violating the Clean Air Act by operating methane gas turbines without permits to power its Colossus 2 data center in Mississippi. The notice letter is a requirement prior to initiating suit under the Clean Air Act.
- Texas Sues Snap: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Snap, the developer of the app Snapchat, alleging that the company violated state consumer protection laws via addictive design features and failure to warn users and parents about inappropriate content.
- West Virginia Sues Apple: West Virginia Attorney General John McCuskey sued Apple for failing to detect and report child sexual abuse material stored and shared on iCloud.
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