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

Snap、YouTube 和 TikTok 就学生受害诉讼达成和解

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.

据彭博社报道，Snap、YouTube 和 TikTok 已就首例此类诉讼达成和解。该诉讼指控社交媒体成瘾导致公立学校损失了巨额资金。这起由肯塔基州布雷西特县（Breathitt County）学区提起的诉讼声称，社交媒体扰乱了教学秩序并引发了心理健康危机，从而加重了学校的预算负担。目前和解条款尚未披露，而 Meta 仍需就同一诉讼案接受审判，该案被视为全美 1,000 多起类似诉讼的风向标。

This follows an earlier case, settled by Snap and TikTok, in which a 19-year-old plaintiff claimed significant personal injury due to addictive social media apps. Google and Meta did not agree to a settlement in that suit, and it eventually went to trial, where a jury awarded the plaintiff $6 million. Meta also recently lost a suit brought by New Mexico’s Attorney General, to the tune of $375 million.

在此之前，Snap 和 TikTok 曾就另一起案件达成和解，当时一名 19 岁的原告声称因沉迷社交媒体应用而遭受了严重的人身伤害。谷歌和 Meta 在那起诉讼中未达成和解，案件最终进入庭审，陪审团裁定原告获赔 600 万美元。此外，Meta 最近还输掉了由新墨西哥州总检察长提起的一起诉讼，赔偿金额高达 3.75 亿美元。

Beyond monetary awards, many, including New Mexico, are pushing for significant changes to social media apps to limit their harm to minors. And this is just the start of what’s shaping up to be a busy year for social media lawsuits. According to Bloomberg, lawyers representing school districts said their “focus remains on pursuing justice for the remaining 1,200 school districts who have filed cases.”

除了金钱赔偿外，包括新墨西哥州在内的许多方面都在推动社交媒体应用进行重大改革，以限制其对未成年人的伤害。这仅仅是社交媒体诉讼繁忙一年的开始。据彭博社报道，代表学区的律师表示，他们的“重点仍然是为其余 1,200 个已提起诉讼的学区寻求正义”。