Meta, Google, TikTok, Snap Face Lawsuits Over Claims of Student Addiction

Key Takeaways

A judge has ruled that Meta, Google, TikTok, and Snap must respond to lawsuits from school districts regarding alleged student addiction to their platforms.

Schools argue that these companies intentionally design features to keep minors hooked.

This decision marks a shift from a prior ruling in Los Angeles.

In a significant ruling, US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, California, has mandated that Meta, Google, TikTok, and Snap face lawsuits filed by school districts. These lawsuits accuse the tech giants of fostering addictive habits among students, which schools say contributes to a mental health crisis for young people.

The decision, reported by Bloomberg News, follows just days after Meta successfully defended itself in a different case. On Tuesday, another court cleared Meta and CEO Mark Zuckerberg of claims related to child safety, finding no evidence of financial harm or deliberate deceit. Yet, even with that win, Meta continues to face close scrutiny regarding user safety and privacy.

Schools Argue Platforms Are Addictive by Design

School districts argue that features like the “like” button are carefully crafted to be addictive, drawing young users into spending excessive time on these platforms. They believe this design has led to an uptick in mental health challenges among students, who struggle with overstimulation, self-esteem issues, and social pressures.

This isn't the first instance of social media companies being challenged on addiction concerns. In June, ByteDance, Meta, Google, and Snap prevailed in a lawsuit alleging their platforms negatively impacted teens’ mental health. However, Judge Rogers has taken a different stance, finding some of the schools' claims credible. She indicated that certain platform features may indeed worsen mental health challenges, which has forced schools to spend additional resources to address these issues.

Judge Rogers narrowed the scope of the lawsuit, stating that some claims are protected by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which grants limited immunity to internet companies from lawsuits over user-generated content. Nonetheless, over 150 cases remain active under her jurisdiction, while another 600 lawsuits in Los Angeles courts have been dismissed.

Representatives from the companies deny the allegations, emphasizing that they already have safety measures in place for young users.