Snap, YouTube, and TikTok settle suit over harm to students

May 16, 2026 Terrence O’Brien

A person holding up a smartphone with their face covered by pixels
Schools say social media is hurting grades and creating a mental health crisis. | Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge

Snap, YouTube, and TikTok have settled the first lawsuit of its kind, alleging that social media addiction has cost public schools massive amounts of money, according to Bloomberg. The suit, filed by the Breathitt County School District in Kentucky, claims that social media has disrupted learning and created a mental health crisis, straining budgets. The terms of the settlement have not been revealed yet, and Meta is still facing a trial in the same suit, which is viewed as a bellwether for over 1,000 similar lawsuits across the country

This follows an earlier case, settled by Snap and TikTok, in which a 19-year-old plaintiff claimed signif …

Read the full story at The Verge.

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