Meta, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube to pay $27 million to settle lawsuit over harm to students

Four major tech companies – Meta, Snap, ByteDance, and Google – have agreed to pay around $27 million to settle a lawsuit brought by a Kentucky school district. The suit alleged that social media platforms contributed to a mental health crisis among students. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, will pay $9 million, while Snap (owner of Snapchat) and ByteDance (owner of TikTok) will each contribute $8 million. Google, which owns YouTube, will pay $2 million in cash, along with training programs and software licenses valued at approximately $900,000. The lawsuit was initiated by the Breathitt County School District in rural eastern Kentucky. This case serves as a bellwether for over 1,200 similar lawsuits filed by school districts nationwide seeking to hold tech companies accountable for the impact of social media on students. The plaintiffs sought over $60 million for a 15-year mental health care program and to address issues like sleep deprivation, emotional distress, and increased conflict among students. The settlement was reached before a trial scheduled for later this month. Google's contribution includes on-site professional development, a three-year license for Google AI for Education, a four-year social-emotional learning program, and technical support for Google Workspace tools. None of the companies admitted wrongdoing. Observers suggest this agreement could increase pressure on social media companies to resolve numerous other similar lawsuits overseen by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. The settlement comes amid a series of legal setbacks for tech firms, including a recent jury finding that Meta and Google were responsible for the addictive nature of Instagram and YouTube, and a $375 million judgment against Meta in New Mexico for exposing minors to inappropriate content.