School Districts Nationwide Sue Social Media Giants

Beasley Allen continues representing school systems nationwide in lawsuits against social media giants like Meta (Facebook and Instagram), TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube for their products’ damaging effects on youth.

Beasley Allen began filing social media lawsuits nationwide in 2022 on behalf of adolescents harmed by social media addiction. School districts in Baldwin, Montgomery, and Tuscaloosa counties were among the first filers of the lawsuit. Since then, Beasley Allen has continued representing numerous school districts across the country in states like Alabama, Florida, West Virginia and Kentucky.

Over the past decade, America’s youth has engaged with social media products at an exponential rate. According to the suit, this increase in usage is a direct and calculated effort by social media companies.

According to the filings, these social media companies do not charge users for their products but receive money from advertisers who pay a premium to target specific categories of users. In doing so, the companies generate revenue based on the total time users spend on the application, which directly correlates with the number of advertisements shown to each user.

Government agencies, including the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Surgeon General, have sounded the alarm linking the use of social media apps to a mental health crisis among youth. 

“The companies fail to protect young, vulnerable, at-risk users from social media addiction,” according to the U.S. Surgeon General, leading to anxiety, depression, body dysmorphia, self-harm, and suicide.   

The suits seek to hold these companies responsible and to help school districts access the resources they need to support affected youth.

Beasley Allen attorneys are leaders in complex litigation in courtrooms across the country. Our team can work with you to provide your client the best representation possible. If you are pursuing similar litigation, contact us today.