US School District Wins $27 Mln from Social Media Companies

A school district in the US state of Kentucky has secured nearly $27 million in legal settlements from major social media companies after accusing them of contributing to a student mental health crisis, according to court records.

The largest payment came from Meta, which agreed to pay $9 million to settle claims brought by the Breathitt County School District shortly before a trial scheduled for June 2026.

The case was also settled by Snap, YouTube owner Google, and TikTok owner ByteDance, although the financial details of those agreements were not disclosed.

The district alleged that the platforms were designed to keep young users engaged for extended periods, contributing to anxiety, depression, and self-harm among students while placing additional burdens on schools.

The companies denied wrongdoing and said they have implemented extensive measures to protect children and young users online.

Lawyers representing the plaintiffs said attention is now shifting to similar lawsuits filed by roughly 1,200 school districts across the US. 

Meta has also warned investors that growing legal and regulatory scrutiny over minors' use of social media in the US and EU could affect its business and financial performance.