YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok have reached a settlement in the United States over claims that their social media platforms contribute to addiction and increased healthcare costs for schools.
The settlement relates to a case brought by a school in Kentucky, marking the first of its kind that would have gone to trial. The amount agreed upon in the settlement has not been disclosed.
Had the case proceeded in court, the companies risked being held responsible for various expenses incurred by schools due to the alleged impact of social media use on students.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is now the only major tech firm left to face trial, scheduled for 12 June.
Across the United States, there are more than a thousand active cases claiming that social media platforms lead to addiction and other negative consequences. The companies have denied the allegations and assert that they are taking significant measures to safeguard young users on their platforms.
In March, a jury in Los Angeles found Meta and Google, the parent company of YouTube, negligent in how they designed their platforms. A 20-year-old woman, who claimed she became addicted to social media as a child, was awarded $6 million in damages in that case.
