Why are Ontario school boards suing TikTok, Snapchat and Meta for $4.5 billion?

This Matters

Guests: Leena Usman, Pino Buffone and Kris Rushowy

In what could be a landmark lawsuit in Canada, at least five major Ontario school boards are taking some of the largest social media companies to court over their platforms like Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok, alleging they have been designed in a way that’s almost “rewiring” the way children behave. The allegations have yet to be proven in court, and there is no set date for when they will be heard, but they are now joining a wave of U.S. school districts doing the same. We find out more about this lawsuit and examine the implications for online safety, digital responsibility and the future of social media regulation. Plus, Gen-Zer Leena Usman shares her lived experience of what it's like on the social media front lines.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques.

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