HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — Horry County Schools may soon join a nationwide lawsuit against social media companies Instagram and Meta, alleging they’re responsible for deepening a “youth mental health crisis.”
In December, the school board voted 8-1 in favor of retaining legal services to consider joining a multi-district litigation action C filed last October in U.S. District Court Northern California.
Horry County is the state’s third largest public school district, with more than 46,000 students.
Motley Rice, a national lawsuit based in Mount Pleasant, are among the firms suing.
Horry County Schools didn’t comment on the possibility of joining the lawsuit, and it wasn’t immediately known when a vote could happen naming the district as a plaintiff.
The 233-page suit was brought by attorneys general from 33 states, including South Carolina’s Alan Wilson. They claim the social media giants have violated consumer protection laws in several ways, including collecting data on minors without parental consent to create targeted marketing campaigns.