By Mike Swift ( August 7, 2026, 23:34 GMT | Comment) -- Two separate court rulings, one by a federal judge in California and one by a state court judge in New Mexico, could mean trouble ahead for the "attention economy." The federal judge found recommendation algorithms aren't First Amendment-protected expression, allowing California restrictions on "addictive" feeds for minors. A New Mexico judge, meanwhile, ordered Meta to pay $567 million and impose safeguards including nighttime notification blocks, new age-verification rules, usage limits, risk warnings and compliance reports. Appeals are expected, but similar nationwide cases could curb engagement and advertising growth.Business has rarely been better for social media platforms like Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. The combined ad revenue for social media services owned by Meta Platforms, Google and TikTok likely topped $70 billion for the just-completed quarter....
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