We're now at 510 signatures. Thank you. We're halfway to our goal of 1,000 — the threshold at which I'll formally submit this petition to federal ministers and request a direct government response.

This week brought a significant development — and it matters for this petition.

March 25, 2026 — Los Angeles

A California jury found Meta and YouTube liable for designing platforms that harmed a young woman who began using them as a child. The jury awarded $3 million US in compensatory damages, and recommended an additional $3 million in punitive damages — finding the companies acted with malice. The case centred on specific design features: infinite scroll, autoplay, and notification systems built to maximize time spent on the platform.

March 24, 2026 — New Mexico

A separate jury found Meta violated state consumer protection law in a case brought by the state's attorney general, who accused the company of misleading users about the safety of its platforms. Meta was ordered to pay $375 million US in civil penalties.

Thousands of similar lawsuits are working through U.S. courts, and a major multi-state trial involving Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat is expected this summer in California.

Canada isn't on the sidelines either. More than a dozen Ontario school boards are currently suing the parent companies of Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok, alleging their platforms are designed for compulsive use and have affected how students think, behave, and learn. Those allegations haven't yet been proven in court — but the legal momentum is building on both sides of the border.

Litigation is slow and reactive. It compensates individuals after harm has already happened. What this petition calls for is different: federal legislation that sets standards before the next generation of children grows up inside systems that've never been required to prioritize their well-being.

We're asking the Government of Canada for:

• Transparency in how algorithms prioritize content for users under 18
• Restrictions on engagement-driven design features like infinite scroll and autoplay
• Default time-awareness tools and parental oversight built into youth accounts
• Enforceable compliance with meaningful financial penalties

490 more signatures will get this petition in front of the ministers who can act on it. If you've already signed, please consider sharing it — with one parent, one teacher, one community group. That's how we close this gap.

LINK:
https://www.change.org/KidsNotClicks

Thank you for standing up for our kids.

— Shadi