Father of son who died by suicide after online scam calls meeting with Zuckerberg 'a slap in the face'

A grieving father spoke out after landmark court rulings against Meta and YouTube.

Brian Montgomery, whose 16-year-old son died by suicide after an online scam, called it "a slap in the face" that lawmakers chose to meet with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg but not families pushing for stronger online safety protections.

His remarks came after juries in two cases found the major platforms liable for harming young users.

In one, Meta was hit with a $375 million penalty. In another, Meta and YouTube were found to have designed platforms that keep kids hooked without sufficient regard for their well-being.

"This was a jury of citizens that recognized the harms that are out there for our kids, and they spoke, and they spoke loudly," Montgomery told CNN. "We're just really appreciative and optimistic that this could be a spot where we see some real change."

Just days later, Montgomery watched congressional leaders meet with Zuckerberg — despite a year and a half of unfulfilled promises to sit down with families such as his, he said.

"We're just asking for help as parents. We don't expect the government to do our job for us. We just expect some support," Montgomery said. "We've got a harmful product in tech that continues to harm kids, and it has to be regulated."

Montgomery's son Walker died after being targeted in a sextortion scheme, a form of online blackmail.

His story underscores a concern among parents and experts that social media companies are failing to adequately protect young users from harmful content, scams, and exploitation.

Advocates warn that without stronger safeguards, the risks to children will escalate.

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Efforts to pass meaningful legislation have been stalled. The proposed Kids Online Safety Act passed the Senate with bipartisan support in 2024 but faces hurdles in the House even after revisions that critics say weakened its protections.

For Montgomery, the issue comes down to accountability.

"To expect them to self-regulate is absurd," he said, having pointed to what he described as a well-funded tech lobby. "... Big Tech has got their hand in the pot, and we've got to, as people, as citizens, we've got to stand up to that and say: 'No more. Our kids come first.'"

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