Vice President of MRC Free Speech America Dan Schneider joined The Right View with Lara Trump Thursday night to deliver a high-stakes briefing on what he calls the “Super Bowl” of Big Tech litigation: a pair of landmark trials that could fundamentally rewrite the rules of the American internet.

The legal storm centers on two massive cases in New Mexico and California targeting Google and Meta for the alleged “intentional addiction” of children. While New Mexico’s Attorney General is leading a state-level charge, the California “bellwether” case involves 1,600 plaintiffs who claim tech giants designed products like Instagram and YouTube to hook kids.

.@Schneider_DC breaks down with @LaraLeaTrump how to protect kids online without crushing rights:
Age verification belongs at the device & app store level. Parents should control access—kids aren’t ready for phones, contracts, or addictive apps. pic.twitter.com/BiKlCXWpTj
— Media Research Center (@theMRC) February 27, 2026
Schneider, an attorney himself, warned that while child safety is paramount, the venue for these changes is concerning. “It’s Congress’s job to determine the rules of the road for companies in America,” Schneider noted, expressing concern that 12 jurors are now being asked to determine the future of American law.

Lara Trump, speaking as a mother of two who keeps her children “screen-free,” pressed Schneider on the difficulty tech giants face in claiming addiction is merely an accidental side effect. Schneider’s response was a sobering reality check, noting that while Meta has faced “nasty emails” regarding their goals, the evidence against Google may be even more damning. “YouTube and Google will be on the hot seat this week,” Schneider predicted, comparing the current legal atmosphere to the fall of Big Tobacco.

.@Schneider_DC shares 3 Steps to Protect Kids and Free Speech Online with @LaraLeaTrump:
1. Stop crime on platforms
2. commit to free speech
3. Age verification at device and app level
Parents deciding access solves 95% of harms. pic.twitter.com/V7v8M8ZIZV
— Media Research Center (@theMRC) February 27, 2026
The conversation shifted to the broader implications for the First Amendment. Schneider praised President Trump for his “Day One” executive order dismantling the Biden-era “censorship industrial complex,” but he warned that the impulse to protect kids must not become a Trojan horse for government control.

Schneider proposed a common-sense solution to balance safety and speech:

Enforce Criminal Law: Hold platforms accountable for existing crimes.
The Musk Model: Commit to free speech so political disagreement isn’t labeled “misinformation.”
Device-Level Verification: Put age-gates at the App Store level, empowering parents rather than giving Big Tech more data.
The battle for the digital town square is just beginning. While the evidence of harm is mounting, the goal remains a balance of protecting the vulnerable without sacrificing the First Amendment.