The Briefing
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In today’s email:
- Featured story: Meta, TikTok settle child safety lawsuits
- In other news: Tensions rise between Mexican government and journalists
- Looking ahead: AI literacy lessons are working their way into schools
- Chart of the week: Who should be most responsible for ensuring Americans know how to check the accuracy of news?
🔥 Featured story
Recent settlements involving Meta and TikTok have put renewed attention on claims that social media companies do not adequately protect young users. Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, agreed to a $17 billion settlement as well as changes to its products in response to a lawsuit brought by 47 U.S. states. The lawsuit argued Meta knowingly contributed to social media addiction and harmed children. Meanwhile, in a separate case, TikTok agreed to pay $400 million over a federal government lawsuit alleging violations of child safety and privacy laws.
The platforms at the center of these debates are widely used by U.S. teens: More than half of those ages 13 to 17 use TikTok (61%) and Instagram (55%) daily, according to a 2025 Pew Research Center survey. This includes 21% who said they use TikTok “almost constantly” and 12% who reported the same about Instagram.
In a 2024 Center survey of teens, 48% said social media has a mostly negative effect on people their age, up from 32% in 2022. And 45% said they spend too much time on social media. At the same time, many teens also see benefits from using these platforms. For example, 74% said social media helps them feel more connected to friends.
📌 In other news
- Tensions rise between Mexican government and journalists
- Arbitrator orders The Washington Post to rehire columnist Karen Attiah, who was fired over Charlie Kirk comments
- Pentagon fires leadership of Stars and Stripes
- Former Alabama basketball player awarded $9.25 million in rare defamation verdict against The New York Times
- California governor signs bill to protect privacy of immigration support workers, which Republicans call the “Stop Nick Shirley Act”
- Journalist Catherine Herridge turns to Supreme Court to avoid daily fine for refusing to disclose her sources
- A look at the former investigative journalist now working for the White House
- The New York Times begins testing AI search tool highlighting its reporting
📅 Looking ahead
Thirty-seven states have published official guidance for artificial intelligence in schools as AI tools continue to evolve. And some schools have started incorporating AI literacy into their curriculums in hopes of teaching students how to use the technology safely and effectively.
As of last fall, a majority of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 (64%) said they were using AI chatbots, including more than half who had used chatbots to search for information (57%) or get help with schoolwork (54%).
About a quarter of all teens (26%) said they were extremely or very confident in their ability to use AI chatbots, while 31% were somewhat confident and 7% were not too or not at all confident. An additional 36% said they had not used chatbots.
📊 Chart of the week
As Americans navigate an increasingly complex information environment, whose job it is to make sure people know what information they can trust and how to check whether news is accurate? This week’s chart looks at this question, which we asked in a December 2025 survey:
- 44% of Americans say individuals themselves should be most responsible – by far the largest share.
- 22% say news organizations should carry this responsibility.
- Smaller shares put the responsibility on others, such as schools or the government.
“Americans’ Complicated Relationship With News”
| All U.S. adults | Rep/Lean Rep | Dem/Lean Dem | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individuals themselves | 44% | 52% | 37% |
| News organizations | 22% | 20% | 24% |
| Teachers or schools | 9% | 4% | 14% |
| The government | 9% | 7% | 9% |
| Parents or family members | 5% | 6% | 4% |
| Tech or social media companies | 4% | 4% | 5% |
| None of the above | 5% | 5% | 5% |
“Americans’ Complicated Relationship With News”
👋 That’s all for this week.
The Briefing is compiled by Pew Research Center staff, including Naomi Forman-Katz, Christopher St. Aubin, Emily Tomasik, Joanne Haner and Sawyer Reed. It is edited by Michael Lipka and copy edited by Mia Hennen.
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