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2mo ago

YouTube and Snap Settle Bellwether School Social Media Lawsuit as Meta and TikTok Head to June Trial

The bellwether deal will help set values in thousands of similar cases now clustered in California.

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People who lost family members from suicide due to social media addiction stand outside the Los Angeles Superior Court after a jury finds Meta and YouTube liable on March 25. Photo: EPA
Teenagers pose for a photo while holding smartphones in front of a Youtube logo in this illustration taken September 11, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

Overview

  • Court filings Friday in Oakland disclosed that YouTube and Snap settled Breathitt County School District’s suit, with terms undisclosed and YouTube calling the resolution amicable.
  • Meta and TikTok remain defendants in the same bellwether, which is set for a June trial that will test claims from more than 1,200 school districts.
  • The Kentucky district says addictive design harmed students and forced new spending, and it has sought over $60 million plus a 15-year mental health program and design changes.
  • More than 3,300 similar suits are pending in California state court and about 2,400 more are grouped in federal court, increasing pressure for broader settlements.
  • The settlements follow a March Los Angeles jury verdict that found Meta and Google negligent and awarded $6 million, a result lawyers say will guide talks across the docket.