The multibillion-dollar lawsuit launched by a coalition of Ontario school boards against Meta, Snapchat, and TikTok will proceed, after a judge ruled against the social media companies’ attempt to have the case dismissed.
Twelve Ontario school boards, including four of the largest boards in Canada, launched more than $8 billion in lawsuits against Snapchat, TikTok, and Meta last year, arguing their platforms are designed to be addictive and have changed the way children think and learn, which they say is disrupting the education system. Two schools are also suing the social media firms.
Among the plaintiffs are The Toronto District School Board, Peel District School Board, Toronto Catholic District School Board, and Ottawa-Carleton District School Board.
The group of plaintiffs known as Schools for Social Media Change announced in a March 11 release that the court’s rejection of the technology companies’ motion to dismiss allows the case to progress 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 Neinstein, the Toronto firm that is leading the lawsuit on behalf of the school boards.
The group said the case can move forward following the judge’s decision to affirm the validity of the Toronto District School Board’s $1.6 billion lawsuit, which represents all boards.
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“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 March 7 decision.
“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.”
The filings by the boards and schools accuse Snapchat, Tik Tok, and Meta-owned Facebook and Instagram of deliberately or “negligently” designing platforms that cause “compulsive use” among young people, effectively rewiring the way students “think, behave, and learn.”
The statements of claim say the school boards have suffered “substantial damages” as a result and call on the social media firms to make improvements rather than “leaving educators and schools to manage the fallout.”
The allegations have yet to be proven in court. Meta, Snapchat, and TikTok have all previously stated their commitment to ensuring the well-being of their adolescent users.
A Meta representative said in a statement that the company has created resources aimed at assisting parents and teenagers, which includes the launch of safeguarded 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.
A Snapchat spokesperson said in a statement the instant messaging app was “intentionally designed” to be different from traditional social media because it opens directly to a camera rather than a social media feed. It also 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.
TikTok did not respond to requests for comment by publication time.
‘Youth Mental Health Crisis’
Schools for Social Media Change was formed by the school boards and schools to “demand accountability from social media tech giants,” in a bid to strengthen the education system. according to the group’s website.
More than 90 percent of Ontario students in grades 7 to 12 use social media daily, the website says. Educators say high usage of such platforms has led to a “youth mental health crisis” with 38 percent of young people reporting “poor or fair mental health” and 26 percent “feeling as though they are in serious psychological distress.”
Forty-five percent of these young people use social media for at least five hours each day, the website says.
The website lists nine related “harms” the school boards say they are experiencing as a result of students’ addictions to social media.
“Administrators are adjusting curriculum to respond to an unfocused and inattentive student population,” the site says.
Other alleged harms include additional costs for increased mental health supports, IT infrastructure and cyber security, and digital literacy and online safety programming. The group says there is also an “urgent” need for resources to investigate and respond to threats against schools, staff, and students communicated through social media, as well as to shield children from the dangers posed by adult predators.
This is not the first time school boards have sued social media companies in response to a “mental health crisis” among students. U.S. school districts in Alabama, California, Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Washington state have all filed lawsuits similar to those launched by the Ontario school boards.
The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
