Meta becomes latest to settle social media addiction case ahead of June bellwether trial

Meta has settled a federal lawsuit over social media addiction just weeks before the bellwether trial was slated to start in June, joining three other technology firms that settled earlier this month.

Meta and attorneys for the Breahitt County, K.Y., Board of Education, confirmed the settlement to The Hill Thursday, resolving claims that the Facebook and Instagram parent company intentionally designed its platforms to keep kids engaged, prompting mental health issues.

The trial was expected to start June 12 in the Northern District of California federal court. The case’s other defendants — YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat — settled with the rural Kentucky school district last week.

The districts’ attorneys said their “focus remains on pursuing justice for the remaining 1,200 school districts who have filed cases.” Along with school districts, social media companies are facing hundreds of other challenges from state attorneys general,........

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