Meta Settles US School District Lawsuit Over Social Media Addiction Claims
Meta has settled a legal claim brought by the Breathitt School District in Kentucky, which alleged the company's social media platforms intentionally fostered addiction, contributing to a mental health crisis among students. The district had sought £44.7m in damages and an abatement programme to address the perceived harms, which it claimed ranged from anxiety and depression to self-harm among young people.
This settlement, announced on Thursday, prevents Meta from having to present a defence in what was slated to be the first litigation attempting to compel social media companies to cover the costs associated with these alleged impacts. Breathitt County School District's case was chosen as a bellwether for over a thousand other US school districts pursuing similar claims against technology firms.
The specific terms of Meta's settlement have not been disclosed. Last week, the same school district settled with three other defendants: TikTok, Snap Inc, and Google's YouTube. Attorneys for the plaintiffs stated their continued focus remains on pursuing justice for the remaining school districts.
Despite Meta's public assertions about developing protections like "Teen Accounts" to safeguard younger users, critics, including former Meta whistleblower Arturo Béjar, argue that products designed to maximise attention capture inevitably foster harmful relationships. Research from groups such as the Tech Transparency Project also indicates Meta has compensated influencers to promote a positive image of these same "Teen Accounts", raising further questions about the company's commitment to youth welfare over engagement metrics.
This development follows a recent high-profile case in Los Angeles where a 20-year-old woman, known as Kaley, was awarded $6m in damages after a jury found Meta and YouTube responsible for her childhood social media addiction and its mental health consequences. Meta and Google have indicated their intent to appeal that verdict.
