Lehigh County could soon join the list of government entities suing social media companies over their effects on children’s mental health.
The county Board of Commissioners on Tuesday unanimously approved a motion to retain the Philadelphia law firm Kline and Specter to investigate and pursue potential claims.
Chair Geoff Brace said litigation could yield money to pay for kids’ mental health treatment in the future, similar to the opioid settlements that the commissioners and district attorney negotiated to pay for drug treatment and related programs.
“We continue to reap the financial resources to respond to the opioid epidemic as a result of that, and I think what we’re envisioning is something along that line,” Brace said. “But there’s a lot more work to be done, and that’s why we need a law firm to help us with that.”
Pennsylvania, along with several other states, won a major settlement against Meta in August after arguing the company designed its platforms, Facebook and Instagram, to attract, engage and addict young users.
State Attorney General Dave Sunday said the commonwealth would receive between $516 million and $729 million over the next decade as part of the $17.1 billion deal. Meta also agreed to safety features for children, like daily use caps, limited use during school and nighttime hours, and stricter age verifications.
Officials in Bucks and Montgomery counties have also recently filed lawsuits against social media companies, including Meta, TikTok, Google, and Snap, citing their destructive impacts children’s mental health.
The commissioners did not say how much it would cost to retain the law firm, but all no-bid contracts over $25,000 require board approval.
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