Meta Platforms has reached a settlement in the first school district lawsuit slated for trial over claims that social media platforms contributed to a youth mental health crisis and should help cover the costs schools incurred in responding to it, Reuters reports.
The agreement resolves a lawsuit filed by Kentucky’s Breathitt County School District, a rural district in Appalachia, following earlier settlement agreements reached with co-defendants Alphabet’s YouTube, Snap and TikTok. Terms of the settlements were not disclosed.
The school district accused Meta and other social media companies of designing addictive platforms that contributed to rising rates of anxiety, depression and self-harm among students. The case had been scheduled for trial on June 15 in federal court in Oakland, California.
Breathitt County School District sought more than $60 million to fund mental health services and cover costs associated with addressing the alleged impacts of social media on students. The lawsuit also sought a court order requiring the companies to reduce addictive features on their platforms. Reuters has the full story.
