iHeartRadio: ‘Social media is the new tobacco’

March 3, 2026 — The Transparency Coalition’s educational work is cited in a new report posted by iHeartRadio, the nation’s largest national radio broadcasting network.

The network reported:

A series of landmark trials that could reshape the future of social media for children are now underway across the United States, with Meta, Google, TikTok, and Snap facing claims that they deliberately designed their platforms to addict and harm young users.

According to the Transparency Coalition, approximately 1,600 plaintiffs — including individual families, school districts, and state attorneys general — are part of the coordinated legal proceedings. The cases allege that addictive platform features like infinite scroll, autoplay video, and algorithmic recommendations caused depression, eating disorders, self-harm, and other mental health issues in children.

Two trials got underway in February. A third is expected to begin in June.

Learn more about the social media trials