Snap, YouTube, TikTok Settle Tech Addiction Case. There’s Still One Holdout

Snap, YouTube, and TikTok owner ByteDance have agreed to settle a lawsuit accusing the platforms of causing addiction, disrupting learning, and forcing schools to spend large sums on student mental health support. According to Bloomberg, payout terms were not disclosed. Bloomberg Intelligence estimates that comparable lawsuits could expose tech companies to a “collective theoretical liability” of almost $400 billion. Meta will continue to fight the case; a trial begins on June 12 in California. The Breathitt County School District in rural Kentucky sued the tech firms in 2024, accusing them of failing to implement robust age-verification processes and effective parental controls. It also accused them of not implementing opt-in restrictions on the length and frequency of usage, creating barriers that make it more difficult for users to delete or deactivate their accounts, and using algorithms to promote addictive engagement. The schools claimed this led to staff spending time on confiscating cell phones and other devices, as well as hiring additional staff to support student mental health and counseling. “This matter has been amicably resolved, and our focus remains on building age-appropriate products and parental controls that deliver on that promise,” YouTube told Reuters. Snap provided a similar statement. The news comes after Snap
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