Social Media Giants Lose Last Bid to Avoid Trials With Schools

Meta Platforms Inc., Google, TikTok Inc. and Snap Inc. lost a chance to avoid going to trial over claims by public school districts across the US that social media platforms harmed the mental health of students and strained school resources.

A federal judge in Oakland, California, issued a ruling late Monday rejecting a request by the companies to dismiss claims brought by a school district in rural Kentucky that are similar to those filed by more than 1,000 other local districts. The judge has said she intends to hold the first jury trial later this year.

The ruling ...