Ontario school boards clear hurdle in lawsuits against Meta, Snapchat, TikTok
Suits allege apps negatively rewiring students' thinking; allegations not tested in court
A group of Ontario school boards said Tuesday its legal fight against Meta, Snapchat and TikTok will proceed after a judge struck down the social media giants' motion to dismiss the case.
The group said the case can now proceed based on a judge's ruling that the Toronto District School Board's lawsuit, which represents all boards, has merit.
Since March 2024, 14 Ontario school boards and individual schools have initiated lawsuits against the social media companies, alleging the platforms are negligently designed for compulsive use and have rewired the way children think, behave and learn. The allegations in the lawsuits have not been proven in court.
"The statistics, if true, and the methods and outcomes of social media on the learning environment reveal broad effects that impact not only the immediate access to the right to an education, but to the futures of many young people," wrote Ontario Superior Court Justice Janet Leiper in her decision released Friday.
"It is arguable that an addictive product that interferes with the mental health and educational aspirations of students is a public nuisance that requires a remedy."
'First step in achieving justice for the education system': lawyer
Schools for Social Media Change, the group of plaintiffs, said in a news release Tuesday the court's denial of the tech giants' motion for dismissal means the case can proceed to trial.
"This is the first step in achieving justice for the education system, and ultimately the next generation of leaders," said Duncan Embury, a lawyer at the Toronto firm Neinstein, which is heading up the litigation.
Among the plaintiffs are some of the province's largest school boards, including the public and Catholic school boards in Toronto and Ottawa.
The lawsuits make a slew of allegations about how "negligently" designed social media platforms have disrupted the education system at the expense of students' well-being.
They allege more staff and administrator time is being spent on addressing compulsive student social media use, more money is going into the heightened need for digital literacy and harm prevention, and more resources are being spent on handling issues such as cyberbullying and online sexual harassment.
Students also struggle to spot misinformation, the suits allege, pushing teachers to spend time and resources to help vet what students see on their social media feeds and prevent them from adopting harmful ideologies they are exposed to on the platforms.
Companies say they're committed to users' well-being
Meta, Snapchat and TikTok have all previously said that they're committed to their young users' well-being.
A Snapchat spokesperson reiterated Tuesday that the platform was "intentionally designed" to be different form traditional social media as it opens directly to a camera rather than a feed of content, and has no public likes or comments.
"While we will always have more work to do, we feel good about the role Snapchat plays in helping close friends feel connected, happy and prepared as they face the many challenges of adolescence," the statement said.
A Meta spokesperson said Tuesday the company has developed tools to support parents and teens, including the introduction of protected teen accounts on Instagram.
"We strongly disagree with the allegations and believe the evidence will demonstrate our commitment to supporting young people," the statement read.
TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.
Together, the plaintiffs are seeking more than $8 billion in damages, and they are calling on the social media companies to redesign their platforms to keep students safe.
Schools for Social Media Change says changes will help reduce mental health harms to youth and disruptions to the education system.
The school boards have previously said they will not incur costs for the lawsuits unless they are successful.