Meta settles Kentucky school district lawsuit ahead of trial
The agreement follows similar settlements by Snap, YouTube and TikTok in the same litigation, which alleged harm to students’ mental health and strain on school resources.
Meta has reached a settlement in a lawsuit brought by a Kentucky school district, resolving the matter weeks before it was scheduled to proceed to trial in California. The litigation alleged that Meta, along with Snap, YouTube and TikTok, had harmed students' mental health and strained school resources. The settlement follows similar agreements reached by Snap, YouTube and TikTok in the same case.
The Kentucky case was the first scheduled to go to trial among more than 1,000 lawsuits brought by school districts across the United States. Lawyers for the Kentucky school district stated their focus remains on pursuing justice for the remaining 1,200 school districts who have filed cases. Meta continues to face more than 1,000 other lawsuits from school districts across the United States, including cases in New York and Seattle.
A Meta spokesperson said in a statement: "We've resolved this case amicably and remain focused on our longstanding work to build protections like Teen Accounts that help teens stay safe online, while giving parents simple controls to support their families."
Meta was likely keen to avoid another high-profile trial that would have put its safety record in the spotlight. A Los Angeles jury recently ruled against Meta and YouTube in another trial over social media addiction, which saw testimony from Mark Zuckerberg and other executives.
Meta was recently ordered to pay a $375 million fine following a trial in New Mexico over its safety practices, a ruling the company plans to appeal. The specific financial terms of the settlement with the Kentucky school district were not disclosed in the source material.
