Publicly funded school boards from southern Niagara to northern Rainy River, along with private Jewish and Catholic schools, have joined the legal effort that four boards previously launched against the owners of Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok. The damage claims range from $11 million by each of the private schools to $1.6 billion by the Toronto District School Board. (The Logic)

Talking point: The lawsuits accuse Meta, Snap and ByteDance and a number of their subsidiaries, of designing addictive apps that are unsafe for children, forcing schools to deal with misbehaviour, learning deficits and psychological problems. In response, Snap spokesperson Tonya Johnson reiterated a statement from earlier this year that Snapchat doesn’t have features such as “likes” or comments—which the lawsuits say warp developing minds—and is meant only to connect friends. Meta has said it’s invested heavily in safety and parental controls. In response to similar lawsuits in the U.S., TikTok said it has “robust safeguards” and safety features.