Meta settles lawsuit with Kentucky school district over social media harm

Investing.com -- Meta Platforms reached a settlement on Thursday with a Kentucky school district in the first case scheduled for trial involving claims that social media companies should cover costs related to student mental health issues.

The agreement resolves a lawsuit filed by Breathitt County School District and follows earlier settlements by co-defendants Alphabet's YouTube, Snap and TikTok. The case was set for a June 15 trial in federal court in Oakland, California.

Breathitt County School District, a small rural district in Appalachia, accused the companies of designing their platforms to keep young users engaged, which the district said contributed to anxiety, depression and self-harm among students. The district argued that schools were left to address the resulting consequences.

Breathitt is among roughly 1,200 school districts pursuing similar claims. Its case was selected as a bellwether for those lawsuits.

The lawsuit sought over $60 million to cover costs of addressing social media's impact on students' mental health and to fund a 15-year mental health program. The district also sought a court order requiring the companies to modify their platforms to reduce features it described as addictive.

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