Major school boards demand $4.5 billion in damages from social media companies.
Four major Ontario school boards are suing top social media companies, seeking $4.5 billion in damages. They claim the platforms harm children’s mental and learning abilities. The Toronto, Peel, and Ottawa-Carleton district school boards, alongside Toronto’s Catholic board, target Meta Platforms Inc., Snap Inc., and ByteDance Ltd. These companies run Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok. They allege these platforms addict kids and disrupt education.
Rachel Chernos Lin, chair of the Toronto District School Board, spoke out. She said on CBC Radio that these companies must face accountability. They should also make their products safer for children. The claims against these social media giants are still pending in court. CBC Toronto reached out to the involved companies for comments.
The school boards, under the coalition “Schools for Social Media Change,” highlight a crisis. They point to students’ attention, learning, and mental health issues. The boards link these problems to the “prolific and compulsive use” of social media. They accuse the platforms of promoting cyberbullying, harassment, and misinformation. This, in turn, leads to increased physical violence and conflicts in schools.
The boards are calling for the companies to cover the extra costs. These include mental health programming, IT expenses, and administrative resources. They also urge the companies to redesign their products for student safety. Similar lawsuits have been filed in the United States. Over 30 states have sued Meta Platforms Inc. for harming youths’ mental health.
Responding to the lawsuit, a TikTok spokesperson highlighted their safety measures. They mentioned parental controls and a screen time limit for users under 18. Snap Inc., through an email, emphasized Snapchat’s design. They pointed out its focus on connecting close friends without traditional public likes or comments.
Neinstein LLP, a Toronto-based firm, represents the school boards. They say the lawsuit is a first of its kind in Canada. Duncan Embury, a partner at Neinstein, blames the social media products’ common designs. These designs lead to problematic use among kids.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has expressed disagreement with the lawsuit. He recalled the 2019 ban on cellphones in classrooms. Ford questions the expense on legal fees against companies with “endless cash.”
Parents have mixed feelings about the lawsuit. While some agree on the need for regulation, others see the legal battle as lengthy and costly. They suggest simpler solutions like restricting phone use in classrooms.
This legal action signals a growing concern over social media’s impact on youth. It calls into question the responsibility of tech giants in safeguarding children’s well-being.
