March 28 (Reuters) – Four Canadian school boards have
sought more than $4 billion in damages from social media firms
such as Meta Platforms and Snap in a lawsuit,
alleging that their products harmed students.
The products are “negligently designed for compulsive use,
have rewired the way children think, behave and learn”, a joint
statement by the boards said on Thursday.
That has caused learning and mental health crises in
students, resulting in the schools having to invest more in
support programs, they said.
Several studies have shown that platforms like Facebook and
Instagram can be addictive and their prolonged use can lead to
anxiety and depression.
Thirty-three U.S. states had last year sued Meta, accusing
its product cause mental health issues among young children and
teenagers.
The Canadian lawsuit has also named TikTok, the short-video
social media platform from China’s ByteDance.
The action has been brought on by Toronto District School
Board, Peel District School Board, Toronto Catholic District
School Board, and Ottawa-Carleton District School Board.
More than 1,000 schools are affiliated to the boards.
Toronto-based law firm Neinstein LLP is representing them.
(Reporting by Yuvraj Malik in Bengaluru;Editing by Arun Koyyur)
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