TikTok, Snapchat & YouTube Agree to Settle Social Media Lawsuit Weeks Before Trial
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A group of social media giants has agreed to settle the first in a series of upcoming trials over claims that their apps are intentionally designed to addict children.
The makers of TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube agreed to the settlement last week with the Breathitt County school district in Kentucky. The district claimed that social media apps’ conduct has fueled a “mental health crisis” in America’s children and is seeking money from the platforms to cover the costs schools have incurred fighting these issues.
Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, was also named in the lawsuit but is not part of the settlement. The trial is set for June and will still go forward with claims against Meta. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
That trial will be closely watched, as it is among thousands of social media lawsuits filed in federal court by individuals and other school districts over similar claims. This case has been selected as a bellwether, meaning it is considered representative of the wider group of lawsuits and is the first test for both sides in how their claims will play out before a jury.
This is not the first time TikTok and Snapchat have settled a social media lawsuit. Earlier this year, both companies reached a resolution with an individual who claimed that she had begun using their apps at a young age and developed serious mental health issues in the following years.
Meta and Google decided against settling and took the case to trial, where a jury ordered both companies to pay a combined $6 million to the woman.
Social Media Lawsuit Claims Youth Mental Health Crisis Is ‘No Accident’
The upcoming Breathitt County trial is not unique. It is one of more than 2,500 lawsuits grouped together in federal court over claims that the companies behind social media platforms have dramatically impacted the mental health of American children.
Lawsuits claim that children are a key part of these companies’ business models and that platforms are designed to increase user screentime at all costs.
“One way Defendants maximize the time users spend on their platforms involves the design of feeds—whether of photos, videos, or sponsored or promoted content,” the Breathitt County lawsuit states. Individual algorithms provide a personalized experience to keep users endlessly engaged.
Thousands of other lawsuits filed by families and individuals have also been grouped together in California state court. The first of those lawsuits to advance to trial was the case that resulted in a $6 million verdict.
More cases, both involving school districts and individuals, are expected to advance to trial in the coming months.