Meta Settles School District Lawsuit Over Social Media Addiction Claims

Meta has reached a settlement with a US school district that sued the Instagram parent company over costs associated with addressing an alleged mental health crisis linked to social media platforms, Lily Jamali reported for BBC News.

The district alleged the platforms were intentionally designed to be addictive, contributing to harms ranging from anxiety and depression to self-harm. (Photo: Breathitt Elemetary School Facebook)

The Breathitt County School District in Kentucky had been set to litigate what was considered the first case seeking to require social media companies to cover such costs.

The district settled similar claims last week with TikTok, Snap Inc., and YouTube.

“We’ve resolved this case amicably,” a Meta spokesperson said, allowing the company to avoid defending itself in the trial. Similar lawsuits involving social media platforms remain pending.

The school district’s case was selected as a test case for more than 1,000 US school districts pursuing claims against social media companies.

The district alleged the platforms were intentionally designed to be addictive, contributing to harms ranging from anxiety and depression to self-harm. It had sought $60 million in damages and funding for programs addressing social media’s effects on students.