Social media companies paid a school district more than its annual budget to avoid trial

TL;DRThe Breathitt County social media settlement totals $27M: Meta $9M, Snap $8M, TikTok $8M, YouTube $2M. 1,300+ school districts have filed similar suits.

The financial terms of the Breathitt County social media settlement have been disclosed for the first time. Meta is paying $9 million. Snap and TikTok are each paying $8 million. YouTube negotiated a payout of slightly more than $2 million.

The combined $27 million is 8% more than the Kentucky school district’s $25 million annual budget. The figures were released under Kentucky’s open records laws. The settlements were announced earlier this month but without financial details.

When the settlements were first reported, only the fact that Snap, YouTube, and TikTok had agreed to settle was public. Meta settled separately. The financial breakdown shows Meta paying the largest share, consistent with the company’s position as the primary defendant across more than 6,000 related lawsuits nationwide.

The 💜 of EU techThe latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!YouTube was the only company to include non-financial terms. It agreed to provide the district with training programmes to help teachers use its video product in classrooms. The other three paid cash only.