Canadian school boards sue social media giants for over C$4 billion in damages

FILE PHOTO: Meta and Facebook logos are seen in this illustration taken February 15, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Four Canadian school boards have sought more than C$4 billion ($2.96 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.

($1 = 1.3535 Canadian dollars)

(Reporting by Yuvraj Malik in Bengaluru;Editing by Arun Koyyur)