YouTube, Snap, and TikTok Settle School District Social Media Lawsuit

YouTube, Snap and TikTok have reached settlements in what is set to be the first social media accountability case aimed at forcing major platforms to help school districts cover costs tied to alleged harm to students’ mental health, according to court filings and statements. The agreements, disclosed in filings made Friday in federal court in Oakland, California, resolve claims brought by the Breathitt County School District in rural eastern Kentucky, which remains scheduled to pursue trial claims against Meta Platforms over the same allegations.

The settlements are designed to cover the “entire costs” for school districts to create safer, more protective environments for children and to address youth mental health crises that the district alleged the companies fueled, the filings stated. Terms of the deals were not disclosed. YouTube said in a statement that the matter had been “amicably resolved” and that its focus remains on “building ageappropriate products and parental controls that deliver on that promise.” Snap also said it resolved the case amicably, while TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Breathitt’s case is part of a broader wave of...