Beasley Allen, in partnership with Neinstein LLP, a Toronto-based civil litigation firm, has initiated a legal action against tech giants Meta (Facebook and Instagram), Snapchat, and TikTok on behalf of Ontario’s largest school boards. The $4.5 billion lawsuit represents the Toronto District School Board, Peel District School Board, Toronto Catholic District School Board, and Ottawa-Carleton District School Board.
The litigation alleges that "social media products have disrupted student learning and the education system by reprogramming how children think, behave and learn." It further contends that these products have been "negligently designed for compulsive use, causing massive strains on the four school boards’ finite resources, including increased IT costs, additional administrative resources and the need for in-school mental health programming and personnel."
Joseph VanZandt from Beasley Allen emphasized the firm's commitment to holding social media companies accountable both in the United States and internationally. VanZandt stated, "As a law firm that has been at the forefront of social media lawsuits, Beasley Allen is committed to holding social media companies accountable for not just harms in the United States, but for their actions internationally." He added, "Beasley Allen seeks to ensure that our Canadian clients receive the support and resources they need to hold these companies accountable."
VanZandt's involvement extends to serving as co-lead counsel in significant U.S.-based litigation against social media giants and being part of the Plaintiff Steering Committee for federal multidistrict litigation. Beasley Allen's efforts began in 2022, focusing on filing social media personal injury lawsuits for adolescents affected by social media addiction and representing numerous school districts and government entities in the United States.
The legal action aims to equip school boards in Ontario with the necessary resources to address the challenges posed by social media platforms and support student programming and services affected by their disruptive impact.