Meta settles major social media addiction lawsuit with school district
The Guardian • • general
Key Points:
- Meta has settled a major lawsuit with a Kentucky school district accusing its social networks of being addictive and harming children, resolving the case shortly before a scheduled federal trial.
- The lawsuit, part of a broader effort by about 1,200 US school districts against Meta, TikTok, Snap, and YouTube, sought over $60 million for mental health support and changes to platform design to reduce addictive features.
- Meta emphasized its ongoing commitment to teen safety features and parental controls, while TikTok and Snap have yet to comment; YouTube also settled amicably, highlighting its efforts to provide safer online experiences for students.
- This settlement follows recent legal setbacks for Meta and YouTube, including a $6 million damages award in Los Angeles and a $375 million penalty in New Mexico, marking the first rulings holding social media companies liable for harm to young users.
- Despite the settlement, litigation continues with upcoming trials in California and Tennessee, and further school district cases pending, as plaintiffs compare social media addiction lawsuits to historic tobacco litigation over product harms.