Spokane County considering litigation against Meta, Tik Tok and other platforms

Spokane County’s elected officials convened on Monday to discuss joining ongoing litigation in California against several social media companies for their platforms’ harm to children.

Two Alabama-based Beasley Allen Law Firm representatives briefed the Board of County Commissioners on the litigation. If the officials decide to participate, Spokane would become the first county in the state to join, but among hundreds of other plaintiffs.

Attorney Jennifer Emmel said the litigation against Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube and Meta – which includes Facebook and Instagram – started two years ago. The mass tort claim argues that the companies prioritize advertising revenue over the well-being of their users.

Emmel said the platforms’ lack of age verification, parental controls and guardrails altogether combine for an experience that’s leading to addiction, anxiety, suicidal depression and more.

“Looking at the county point of view, it affects kids in schools, but [social media] also affects [the county] from a public health perspective in general,” she said.

The impact of social media requires additional counselors, hotlines, emergency medical services and other costly resources, which Emmel said is often paid for at the county or state level; winning the lawsuit or settling could provide Spokane with funding for those resources.

In a recent essay for the New York Times, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called for warning labels on social media platforms, similar to tobacco products. He said federal legislation should protect children from social media while preventing the platforms from stockpiling sensitive data.

The essay follows years of congressional hearings, which started in 2021 with a former Meta employee whistleblowing to Congress. He said that the platform was aware children were becoming addicted and the resulting harm thereof, despite trying to increase their engagement.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified before Congress in January. During this testimony, he stood up and faced some of the families impacted by his platform and apologized for the harm done to their children.

Commissioner Mary Kuney said that social media has already increased the county’s expenses. She noted that Spokane Public Schools, the largest district in the area, recently banned cell phones during class for the high schools and altogether for the middle and elementary schools; SPS even cited the surgeon general’s essay in doing so.

“There’s no financial risk for the county to participate in [the] litigation other than the time that might be involved if the case is selected,” Attorney Joseph VanZandt said.

The commissioners will vote over whether to participate in the litigation during an upcoming meeting.