One of Meta’s big legal reckonings just ended in a settlement
One of Meta’s big legal reckonings just ended in a settlement
Meta 的一场重大法律清算以和解告终
After back-to-back losses in trials grappling with its impact on teens’ mental health, Meta just settled what was supposed to be its next legal battle with Kentucky’s Breathitt County School District. Google’s YouTube, Snap, and TikTok all recently settled similar claims brought by the school district, which was seeking payment from the companies to cover the cost of combatting social media-related mental health harms.
在接连输掉几场关于其对青少年心理健康影响的诉讼后，Meta 刚刚与肯塔基州布雷西特县（Breathitt County）学区达成和解，结束了原本即将进行的下一场法律博弈。谷歌旗下的 YouTube、Snap 和 TikTok 最近也都与该学区达成了类似的和解。此前，该学区曾要求这些公司支付费用，以弥补应对社交媒体相关心理健康损害的成本。
The trial had been set to begin in June as the first bellwether trial of the federal multidistrict litigation (MDL) cases, which include claims from school districts, state attorneys general, and individuals against the social media platforms. It’s similar to the group of cases making their way through a California state court in Los Angeles, where the first bellwether case in that group was recently held. The idea is that trying a sampling of cases before juries will inform settlement negotiations for the broader bucket of remaining cases.
该案原定于 6 月开庭，作为联邦多地区诉讼（MDL）案件的首个指标性审判（bellwether trial）。这些诉讼包括来自学区、州总检察长以及个人针对社交媒体平台的指控。这与目前在加利福尼亚州洛杉矶法院审理的一系列案件类似，该系列案件的首个指标性审判近期刚刚举行。其核心逻辑是，通过在陪审团面前审理部分样本案件，为剩余大量案件的和解谈判提供参考。
The terms of the settlement with Breathitt County School District were not disclosed, but plaintiffs’ attorneys Lexi Hazam, Previn Warren, Chris Seeger and Ronald Johnson said in a statement, “our focus remains on pursuing justice for the remaining 1,200 school districts who have filed cases.”
与布雷西特县学区的和解条款并未披露，但原告律师 Lexi Hazam、Previn Warren、Chris Seeger 和 Ronald Johnson 在一份声明中表示：“我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。”
“We’ve resolved this case amicably and remain focused on our longstanding work to build protections like Teen Accounts that help teens stay safe online, while giving parents simple controls to support their families,“ Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said in a statement. YouTube spokesperson José Castañeda said the school district’s claims against the company were ”amicably resolved and our focus remains on building age-appropriate products and parental controls that deliver on that promise.” Snap spokesperson Monique Bellamy similarly said they were “pleased” to resolve the case “in an amicable manner.” TikTok did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Meta 发言人 Andy Stone 在声明中表示：“我们已友好地解决了此案，并将继续专注于我们长期的工作，即建立像‘青少年账户’（Teen Accounts）这样的保护措施，帮助青少年在网上保持安全，同时为家长提供简单的控制工具来支持他们的家庭。”YouTube 发言人 José Castañeda 表示，该学区针对该公司的指控已“友好解决，我们的重点仍然是构建适合年龄的产品和家长控制功能，以兑现这一承诺。”Snap 发言人 Monique Bellamy 也表示，他们“很高兴”能以“友好的方式”解决此案。TikTok 未立即回应置评请求。
The next case on deck dealing with social media addiction and youth mental health claims is expected to begin in the Los Angeles state court in July. The next federal bellwether case is slated for January.
下一场涉及社交媒体成瘾和青少年心理健康指控的案件预计将于 7 月在洛杉矶州法院开庭。下一个联邦指标性案件则定于 1 月审理。