The Monday Briefing is back after exam season, with an even larger team! Internet is shaken by a LA jury, while the No Kings movement takes the street. Argentina and Brazil face different kinds of institutional problem. In Europe, Zelensky brings Ukrainian drones to the Gulf, while the EU Parliament approves new migrant regulations.
Spotlight: the court decision that might change the Internet
by Pietro Ferrari
Under the sunny sky of California, on Wednesday, a court sentenced Google and Meta to pay millions of dollars in reparations to a young woman that sued them for making her addicted to social media. The decision of the jury sets a decisive precedent in the legal disputations around online platforms, as for the first time a company is found liable for the algorithmic design.
The world knows little about Kaley, the woman that started this story, but her addiction to social media developed at the age of 6, when she began to use YouTube, and continued to worsen on Instagram, which she downloaded at 9 years old. At some point, Kaley developed an addiction to these platforms, even using Instagram for 16 hours in a single day. Her legal team argued that this toxic use of social media was among the factors that caused her depression, body dysmorphia and even suicidal intents. The jury ended up ruling in her favor, awarding her 6 million dollars (70% from Meta and 30% from Google) in damages.
The amount of compensation might seem minuscule compared to the revenues of the two tech giants, but the cascading effect that this ruling might provoke is a much larger preoccupation for the companies. The fact that the platforms’ algorithm was found to be responsible for the addiction, and not the content that users uploaded on YouTube and Instagram, sets a very dangerous precedent. Features such as the characteristic “infinite scroll” of Reels and notifications have been judged to be addictive. Hundreds of similar cases are already open in the United States and in the rest of the world, while others will certainly follow after this decision. Every legal case is different, and other juries might reach different verdicts, but the fear of a never-ending battle against this tide might force some change in the tech companies.
While Google and Meta were in court, TikTok and Snapchat had already concluded private deals with Kaley, who had extended her suit against them as well. The terms of the agreement have not been disclosed, but these two defendants avoided the image damage suffered by the other two, in particular by Meta. Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook and CEO of Meta, was present during the trial and faced enormous criticism when faced with internal documents proving that Meta was aware of the risk of developing addiction of their social media.
As many countries in the world have implemented or are on track to implement bans on social media for minors, this case falls in a long discussion on the harm that these platforms can cause to their users, especially in young age. Even though this is not the watershed moment that will cause the end of the internet as we know it, as some commentators have described it, this landmark jury decision will have wide consequences on the lives of millions of internet users around the world.
World News
Argentina at 50 years since the military coup: torn between denialism and historical memory
by Cecilia Franceschini
On Tuesday, March 24, the 50th anniversary of the 1976 coup that turned Argentina into a military dictatorship between 1976 and 1983, tens of thousands took to the streets in Buenos Aires demanding truth and justice. President Javier Milei has been widely accused of denialism regarding one of Latin America’s bloodiest regimes, which led to the disappearance of at least 30,000 people – known as the “desaparecidos” – including dissidents, left-wing guerrillas, trade unionists, and students. Milei has repeatedly relativised the regime’s human rights abuses, backing the view that the military seized power to confront guerrillas who might have turned Argentina into a communist State like Cuba. Legal proceedings launched after the return to democracy to turn to justice those responsible and search for victims have slowed under his presidency, with cuts to funding and the downgrading of the Human Rights Secretariat. The demonstrations stand as a clear rejection of attempts to rewrite the past and a defense of historical truth.
Brazil’s institutions shaken after a bank’s failure ignites political scandal
by Diego de Carvalho
Over the past months, Brazilian politics has been captured by scandal, after the collapse of the Banco Master, a mid-sized bank, revealed criminal activity by the bank’s owner Daniel Vorcaro. Vorcaro’s vast connections with Brazil’s political elite has spread the crisis across the country, but especially to the country’s Supreme Court.
The scandal began in September, when Brazil’s Central Bank rejected the acquisition of Banco Master by Banco de Brasília, a public bank owned by the Federal District, to prevent a larger banking crisis in the country. The bank’s failure quickly generated shockwaves as its owner Daniel Vorcaro was implicated in fraud charges, for which he is currently in jail since November. The case against Vorcaro was raffled to Dias Toffoli, one of Brazil’s Supreme Court Justices, but it was soon revealed that Toffoli and Vorcaro had extensive connections behind the scenes.
Toffoli eventually gave up the case, but the scandal reignited a longstanding debate in Brazilian politics regarding impartiality of judges. Ever since a landmark corruption case was assigned to the Supreme Court in the 2000s, Brazil’s judiciary system has become a central figure in the country’s politics, exerting a key role in political scandals in the 2010s and, more recently, in the conviction of former president Jair Bolsonaro for a coup plot.
The renewed distrust against the country’s Supreme Court comes in an electoral year in which the Brazilian right is campaigning on impeaching justices it sees as political foes, especially Alexandre de Moraes, the most controversial of them all. While this idea was often seen as taboo, the ongoing crisis has seen it gain popularity among the Brazilian public. Even beyond impeachment, there is pressure on the court to impose a harsher code of conduct in lieu of the recent allegations.
Even as most public attention is focused on Brazil’s Supreme Court, similar malfeasance has been exposed in many of the country’s institutions, including the Central Bank, many of the country’s most powerful congresspeople, and many public pension funds. As Vorcaro is expected to accept a plea bargain in the coming months, the Brazilian political system braces for impact amidst the country’s general elections, which will happen in October.
Third “No Kings” protest sees millions of US citizens
by Veronika Lizier-Zmudzinski
The third “No Kings” protest took place this past weekend, with over 3,000 events across the United States and potentially millions of people who joined. The slogan “No Kings” is symbolic of the American principle that the US is a democracy, not a monarchy. Protestors are saying they believe President Trump should have his power more checked, and generally that leaders need to continue being held accountable to laws, courts, and voters.
“No Kings” began in June 2025 on President Trump’s birthday. This first national protest turned the whole idea into a movement almost overnight. It didn’t stay a one-time event, instead it became a series of recurring protests, each one bigger than the last, with the latest being the largest so far.
The movement started as a way to speak out against authoritarianism, immigration enforcement controversies, and economic pressures. But the huge recent factor for the protests has been to speak out against the war in Iran, as many see it as unnecessary and dangerous.
European News
Zelensky partners with the Gulf States to strengthen Ukraine’s defense
On Friday, March 27th, 2026, Ukraine’s President Zelensky has travelled to Riyadh to sign a cooperation defense pact with Saudi Arabia. The following the day, he held security talks with the UAE in Abu Dhabi and established a defense cooperation agreement with Qatar. Zelensky is, indeed, envisioning an enhancement of Gulf security that builds on “Ukraine’s international role as a security donor” and shields the country’s territory from negative conflictual impacts, especially considering the recent involvement of Russia in the Gulf War dynamics. The Eastern superpower has backed Iran by providing it with military drones to be used as counteractive responses to the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes, thus bringing Zelensky to partner with relevant Middle East actors to strengthen the system of protection of critical infrastructure.
Ukraine is intended to leverage its battlefield experience to position itself as a security partner to regionally-at-risk countries, threatened by Iran. As it has collected significant military experience, Ukraine proceeded to the establishment of a bridge of communication with Middle East Countries, whose missile capabilities are suitable to face the Iranian menace and can, in turn, fill the gaps in Ukraine’s military power. As it backs the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar in their security cooperation against Iran, Zelensky’s Ukraine is more broadly pursuing a campaign of subtle but decisive attack directed to the hampering of the Iran-allied Russian power.
On a final note, Russia-Ukraine relationships are being harshened by the U.S.’ ambiguous positioning on the proposed peace statement with Ukraine: Zelensky argues the U.S. is exploiting the need for Ukraine to withdraw from Donbas as the means to cede the latter to Russia, while delaying peace treaty enforcement. U.S. Secretary of State M. Rubio denies Zelensky’s claims, although Ukraine’s standpoint remains skeptical as it foresees more concessions to be made before a peace deal is landed.
EU Backs New Migration Plan for Return Hubs
by Teodora Stefan
The European Union is moving toward a significant shift in migration policy after the European Parliament backed plans to create so-called “return hubs” for rejected asylum seekers. The proposal, approved on 26 March 2026, aims to increase deportations and strengthen control over irregular migration across the bloc.
Under the new rules, migrants denied asylum could face longer detention periods or be transferred to centers outside the EU. These “return hubs” would likely be established in third countries through agreements with host governments, similar to Italy’s processing hubs in Albania. The plan seeks to address a persistent issue: only about one in five individuals ordered to leave the EU are actually returned.
Supporters of the policy, particularly from center-right and far-right groups, argue that stricter measures are necessary to restore credibility to the EU’s migration system. Several countries, including Germany, Austria, and Greece, have already shown interest in developing such arrangements. However, the proposal has triggered strong criticism from human rights organizations and some political groups. Concerns have also been raised about prolonged detention and the possibility of transferring migrants to countries with which they have no meaningful connection.
Additional criticism has come from healthcare professionals, who argue that stricter deportation policies could create a “climate of fear,” discouraging migrants from seeking medical care and potentially affecting public health.
As such, the vote reflects a broader political shift within the EU, where migration remains a deeply divisive issue. While supporters view the reforms as necessary, opponents argue they risk undermining fundamental rights. While negotiations continue, the final form of the policy is still being worked out.
Every week, your TiL Monday Briefing 🗞: you better read it with a cup of coffee! ☕️
Head of the Monday Briefing column: Pietro Ferrari. Current writing staff: Vatsal Aggarwal, Cristiana Murè. Cartoons by Polina Mednikova. The Monday Briefing column was established in its current form in 2021 by Bojan Zeric.
From my background in classical studies to completing my bachelor’s degree across three different countries, learning something new has always been what fuels my curiosity — whether inside a GIO class or in a conversation with a stranger. That curiosity has grown into strong interests across diverse fields, from international relations to languages or the arts. Writing is the tool that allows me to connect and make sense of them all.
I’m Veronika. I grew up in the US but am half-Italian, half-Polish. I’m a first-year BIEM student and am interested in not only economics, but fashion, politics, books, and getting to know the community around me.
Hello everyone! My name is Teodora and I’m a 3rd year BIEM student from Bucharest, Romania. I spend my free time reading up on political issues from around the world and I’m particularly keen on topics concerning the European Union. On a more personal note, I’m passionate about art history, music and writing about the world around me.
