
At mid-May, Snap, YouTube and TikTok have reached a settlement in a lawsuit brought by the Breathitt County School District in Kentucky. The school district alleged that social media platforms contributed to learning disruption, mental health concerns, and additional financial pressures on schools.
Terms of the settlement have not been disclosed. Meta remained a defendant in the same litigation and was scheduled to proceed to trial on June 15th. However, on May 21st, the company also reached a settlement. The case is one of a broader series of lawsuits involving social media platforms and alleged harms affecting minors and schools.
This follows earlier related cases settled by Snap and TikTok. The companies have faced multiple lawsuits related to alleged harms associated with social media use. In a separate case, a jury awarded damages to a plaintiff in litigation involving Google and Meta. Meta has also recently been ordered to pay $375 million in a separate case brought by New Mexico's attorney general.
Beyond seeking monetary awards of $60 millions, plaintiffs and state authorities have also called for changes to platform design and online safety measures affecting minors. Additional lawsuits involving social media platforms and youth safety issues remain ongoing in US courts.
