KAWARTHA LAKES-Trillium Lakelands District School Board (TLDSB) has joined a lawsuit against tech giants Meta, Snapchat, and TikTok citing “disruption to student learning and the education system”.
“We, alongside other Ontario schools and boards, allege that these companies have negligently designed and marketed addictive products that have disrupted our educational mandate and obligation to enhance student achievement and well-being.” said Wes Hahn Director of Education in a letter sent to parents on Wednesday.Â
TLDSB says it has retained Neinstein LLP on a contingency fee basis – there is a fee only if a positive result would be paid from the damages awarded. Litigation costs will not come from the Board’s budget according to Hahn.
“As parents/guardians, many of you know firsthand the impact that social media products have had on students. In fact, it’s rewiring the way they think, act, behave, and learn. As a result, educators are spending increased classroom time managing issues caused by social media, administrators are adapting to the needs of the student body with significant attention, focus, and mental health concerns, and the changing behavioural dynamics of the student population are causing significant shifts in the educational landscape and huge strains on school boards’ finite resources.” said Hahn.
The suit was initially filed in March by the Toronto, Peel and Ottawa-Carleton District School Boards as well as a Toronto Catholic school Board.
They are now joined by:
- Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board.
- York Catholic District School Board.
- Trillium Lakeland District School Board.
- Ottawa Catholic District School Board.
- District School Board of Niagara.
- Private schools Holy Name of Mary College School and Eitz Chaim.
The suit seeks $4.5 billion in total damages from Meta Platforms Inc., Snap Inc. and ByteDance Ltd., which operate the platforms Facebook and Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok .
“The impact of social media products on student learning is a multifaceted problem that requires a multipronged approach. Restricting the use of devices in schools is just one action, but as we know, compulsive social media use outside the classroom will continue to permeate the education system and impact student learning unless change is made by the social media companies.” said Hahn. “This litigation calls on social media giants to make their products safer, to compensate our Board for its disruption to our mandate, and to support TLDSB students’ fundamental right to education.”
