As Meta faces mounting legal action in the US over allegations that its platforms were knowingly designed in ways that harm and addict children, 29 states are now pursuing the tech giant, putting not only past harms, but the way these platforms are designed and regulated, firmly under scrutiny.

Writing in The Irish Times this week, Professor Matthew Sadlier, President of the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO), UCD School of Medicine and HPFSS member, argues that the case exposes a much wider problem:

“Social media regulation is little more than a paper tiger.”