Meta settles a lawsuit that said it addicted students and left schools to deal with the damage

[midian182]

Why it matters: It seems that the two things taking up most of Meta's time these days are AI and lawsuits. In the case of the latter, the social media giant has just settled a major suit with a Kentucky school district over claims that it designs its products to be addictive, thereby directly harming children's mental health.

The lawsuit was brought by Breathitt County School District, a rural district in eastern Kentucky that serves about 1,600 students across six schools. It had been scheduled to go to trial on June 15 in federal court in Oakland, California, making it the first school district case of its kind set to reach a jury.

Breathitt accused Meta, YouTube, Snap, and TikTok of building platforms that keep young users hooked through features such as algorithmic recommendations, infinite scroll, and autoplay.

The district claimed the resulting anxiety, depression, self-harm, and classroom disruption forced schools to divert resources away from education and toward counseling, behavioral interventions, and crisis management.

The district had been seeking more than $60 million to fund a 15-year program designed to counteract the alleged damage caused by social media. It also wanted the court to force changes to reduce what it called addictive features on the companies' platforms.

The terms of Meta's settlement were not disclosed. YouTube, Snap, and TikTok had already settled their parts of the case earlier this month, leaving Meta as the last defendant standing until Thursday's agreement.

"We've resolved this case amicably," a Meta spokesperson said, adding that the company remains focused on Teen Accounts and parental controls.

The settlement only applies to Breathitt County, but the case carried wider importance because it was a test run for how juries might respond to similar arguments.

Around 1,200 school districts have filed related cases against major social media companies. There are more than 3,300 addiction-related claims pending in California state court, with another 2,400 cases in federal court.

"Our focus remains on pursuing justice for the remaining 1,200 school districts who have filed cases," said attorneys for the school districts.

In March, a New Mexico jury found Meta liable for misleading the public about platform safety and exposing children to harm, resulting in penalties totaling $375 million.

Around the same time, a Los Angeles jury found Meta and YouTube negligent for designing platforms harmful to young people, awarding $6 million to a woman who said she became addicted to the platforms as a child.

Permalink to story:

Meta settles a lawsuit that said it addicted students and left schools to deal with the damage

 

[NumberNine]

I'm sure everyone got a nice bit of cash, excluding the countless children that have been exploited and profited from by social media and other organizations at every stage of their development, including many of their own parents feeding their photographs to the machine for likes. They had data tracking IDs before they were old enough to talk.

 

[The Talking Tech]

META admitting fault in a settlement?

That's unheard of in nowadays corporate lawsuits. They always want to settle without admitting fault.

At least that's a something you don't see everyday from the rich and powerful.

 

[toooooot]

I apologize for being so pessimistic, but public schooling, or rather many "believers" that also happen to teach there, do a lot more damage than FB could ever do.
Public schooling, especially in the areas where kids underperform (probably an understatement) exists to infect their brains with ideas that will ruin their lives if they accept those as truth.

Public schooling itself has become a threat to children.

 

[Win7user]

This is pass the buck BS! 1st, this is a parental job, to guide and to direct their children. But, the last two generations, have no clue what being a parent is. They, themselves are addicted to social media and the almighty Smartphone! There are very few adults anymore, its pathetic!

The US government is complicit in this too, in that they could BAN all social media from use in the United States! Social Media, is a bully pulpit and nothing more. it has no redeeming value, and serves no one, but themselves, social media!

 

[p51d007]

Here's a better idea. There is ABSOLUTELY no reason for a child to have a "smartphone". But but but I need to be able to reach my child! The world is dangerous! What if they need to call the police!
Ok, fine, then get them a DUMB phone. One with no texting, only allowed to call say 3-5 numbers including 911. Plus, NO phones once you walk inside the school. But but but what if I need to get ahold of my child! Call the office! Unless your child is skipping school, they know where they are.
Until the child is say 18, NO smartphone.
Studies have shown that the cognitive ability is going down in younger people and it is due to "screens". Why think for yourself, when you can just say "hey Siri/Google".

 

[MiqWalsh]

Essentially, the last couple of generations have been groomed - yes; "groomed".....I choose the word with care - to be utterly dependent on being on-line, and eagerly consuming whatever crap these organisations decide to feed them. And of course, it's whatever makes them the most money.

I freely admit; in my mid-60s I, too, spend a fair amount of time online. But it's always stuff that I'm interested in, which I WANT to peruse.....and I'll tell you this much. I'll spend perhaps 90 minutes online.....and then I've gotta take at least an hour's break for my own sanity. Which then gives me time to catch-up on real-world stuff.

Our generation, fortunately, never GOT "bitten by the bug"......and I, for one, have never had an once of time for so-called "social media".

(shrug...)

Miq.

 

[Endymio]

Essentially, the last couple of generations have been groomed - yes; "groomed".....I choose the word with care

Next we'll sue Baskin Robbins for grooming children to eat ice cream.