Meta Platforms has settled with a teen plaintiff who accused the company of designing Instagram and Facebook to be addictive, causing mental health problems and disordered eating, attorneys said Friday, with the trial expected to proceed against Snap only.
The settlement with K.D.B., an 18-year-old from Mississippi, came after jury selection began Wednesday for a trial originally slated to test the claims of two teens, S.J., 16, and K.D.B., against Meta and Snap. Meta had already settled with S.J. days earlier, and Friday's agreement means the trial is expected to proceed against Snap only.
“We remain committed to improving safety for kids on social media apps and holding tech companies accountable, and we are pleased to have brought this matter to a just resolution on behalf of our client,” Emily Jeffcott, an attorney for K.D.B., said in a statement.
The case is the second in Los Angeles state court over claims that social media platforms are designed to encourage compulsive use. It was selected among thousands of pending lawsuits as a test case, meaning the jury's verdict could shape how the companies and plaintiffs resolve similar cases. S.J. and K.D.B. had previously settled with TikTok and YouTube.
The plaintiffs said they began using YouTube as early as age 3 and the other platforms around age 9, developing compulsive habits they blame on features such as autoplay and infinite scroll. The companies have rejected claims their platforms were designed to addict young people, and say they have taken action to make the apps safe places for young people to express themselves.
Social media companies face thousands of lawsuits from individuals, school districts, municipalities and other government entities alleging they knowingly sought to addict children, contributing to a youth mental health crisis. In the first trial to reach a jury, which ended in March, a Los Angeles jury found Meta and YouTube had been negligent and awarded a young woman $6 million in damages. The next two teens whose cases were selected for trials either settled or dropped their claims, and the first school district chosen for trial settled with all companies.
In August, Meta struck settlements worth up to $18 billion with nearly every state and US territory over the platforms' harm to teens and agreed to change how Instagram and Facebook work for teens.
Analysis
Why this matters
- The test-case trial outcome could influence how thousands of consolidated lawsuits against social media companies are resolved.
- The settlement shows Meta is willing to resolve some claims individually while continuing to contest others, potentially reducing its total liability.
- The case keeps public attention on the alleged link between social media design and youth mental health, a debate that has already prompted regulatory action in several states.
Background
The lawsuits accuse Meta, Snap, TikTok and Google's YouTube of engineering their platforms to be addictive to young users, contributing to anxiety, depression and suicide. The first trial in Los Angeles ended in March with a jury finding Meta and YouTube negligent and awarding a young woman $6 million. In August, Meta agreed to pay up to $18 billion to settle lawsuits from nearly every state and US territory and to make changes to its platforms for teens. Another recent case in New Mexico resulted in a $25 billion penalty against Meta over privacy and hate speech issues; Meta has said it will appeal.
Key perspectives
- Plaintiff's attorney Emily Jeffcott: Said the settlement brings 'a just resolution' for her client and reaffirmed the commitment to 'improving safety for kids on social media apps and holding tech companies accountable.'
- Meta: Has rejected claims its platforms are designed to addict young people, and says it has taken steps to make its apps safe for teenagers.
- Snap: Remains as the sole defendant in the trial, which is expected to proceed after both teens settled with Meta.
What to watch
- The jury's verdict in the Snap trial and whether it finds the company liable, which could drive new settlement talks for the remaining cases.
- Whether other test cases selected in the multidistrict litigation proceed to trial or are resolved through settlements or dismissals.
- Appeals from either party in the Snap trial or in Meta's recent New Mexico case, which could set legal precedents for social media liability.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedMeta settled with the teen, and the trial is expected to proceed against Snap only.US Top News and Analysis: “Meta had settled with S.J. days before the trial, so Friday's settlement with K.D.B. means the trial is expected to proceed against Snap only.”
- SupportedK.D.B.'s attorney said the settlement brought a “just resolution” for the client.US Top News and Analysis: “we are pleased to have brought this matter to a just resolution on behalf of our client," Emily Jeffcott, an attorney for K.D.B., said in a statement.”
- SupportedThe test-case jury verdict could influence how similar cases are resolved.US Top News and Analysis: “The case was selected among the thousands of pending lawsuits as a test case, so the jury's verdict could influence how the companies and plaintiffs resolve similar cases.”
- SupportedMeta settled with a teen who accused it of designing Instagram and Facebook to be addictive, causing her mental health problems and disordered eating.US Top News and Analysis: “Meta Platforms has settled with a teen plaintiff who accused the company of designing Instagram and Facebook to be addictive, causing her mental health problems and disordered eating, attorneys for the plaintiff said on Friday.”
- SupportedAttorneys for the plaintiff said the settlement was made Friday.US Top News and Analysis: “attorneys for the plaintiff said on Friday.”
- SupportedK.D.B. is 18 and from Mississippi.US Top News and Analysis: “K.D.B., an 18-year-old from Mississippi”
- SupportedJury selection began Wednesday for a trial slated to test the claims of S.J. and K.D.B. against Meta and Snap.US Top News and Analysis: “The settlement came after jury selection began on Wednesday for a trial that was slated to test the claims of two teens, identified as S.J. and K.D.B., against Meta and Snapchat parent Snap Inc .”
- SupportedMeta had settled with S.J. days before the trial.US Top News and Analysis: “Meta had settled with S.J. days before the trial”
- SupportedThis is the second trial in Los Angeles state court over claims that platforms were designed to encourage compulsive use.US Top News and Analysis: “The trial is the second in Los Angeles state court over claims brought by young people who say they became addicted to social media after Meta, Snap, TikTok and Alphabet's YouTube designed their platforms to encourage compulsive use.”
- SupportedS.J. and K.D.B. had previously settled with TikTok and YouTube.US Top News and Analysis: “S.J. and K.D.B. had previously settled with TikTok and YouTube.”
- SupportedThe first case to go to trial ended in March with a jury finding Meta and YouTube negligent and awarding a young woman $6 million.US Top News and Analysis: “In the first case to go to trial, which ended in March, a Los Angeles jury found Meta and YouTube had been negligent and awarded a young woman $6 million in damages.”
- SupportedIn August, Meta reached settlements worth up to $18 billion with nearly every state and US territory and agreed to change how Instagram and Facebook work for teens.US Top News and Analysis: “In August, Meta struck settlements worth up to $18 billion with nearly every state and US territory to resolve lawsuits brought by attorneys general over the platforms' harm to teens and agreed to make changes to how Instagram and Facebook work for teens.”
