Meta Settles With Second Teen in Addiction Case, Leaving Snap to Face Jury
USD 21,81
Popular
Meta has settled with a second teenage plaintiff in a Los Angeles social media addiction case, leaving Snap as the only defendant at a trial set to start with opening statements Nov. 4, according to CBS News and NBC News. The plaintiff, an 18-year-old identified in court papers as K.D.B., said Meta and Snap designed their platforms to be addictive. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
Jury selection began this week, and plaintiffs’ lawyers have said they expect the trial to run into mid-December.
Who has settled and who is left
K.D.B. and a second plaintiff, identified as S.J., sued Meta, Snap, TikTok and Alphabet’s YouTube. TikTok and YouTube each settled separately before trial. Meta settled with S.J. earlier, though the reports differ on timing: CBS News said it happened last week, while NBC News said it was one day before the K.D.B. deal. NBC News reported that the terms of both agreements are confidential.
The plaintiffs say Snap designed Snapchat to maximize the time young users spend on the app, using features such as Snapstreaks, Snapscores, push notifications and filters. According to a spokesperson for the plaintiffs’ firm, the Lanier Law Firm, they allege that compulsive use caused severe mental and physical injuries, including depression, anxiety, an eating disorder and self-harm. Snap disputes the allegations. The company told NBC News that Snapchat opens to a camera rather than a feed and that it has built safeguards and safety tools.
What Meta and the plaintiffs’ lawyer said
Emily Jeffcott, trial counsel for K.D.B., said in a statement that the legal team remains committed to improving safety for kids on social media and holding tech companies accountable, and that it was pleased to resolve the matter for its client.
A Meta spokesperson told CBS News that settlements and dismissals are common in the bellwether process. The company said it still faces similar litigation and will continue to defend itself in court. Meta also pointed to protections for teens, including an agreement with 52 bipartisan attorneys general that sets strict time limits, no access at night and no notifications during school hours.
The bigger legal picture
NBC News reported that this is the fourth bellwether in a consolidated group of cases against Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Snap. More than 1,600 plaintiffs are involved, including over 350 families and over 250 school districts. They accuse the companies of knowingly designing addictive products that harm young users’ mental health.
Social media platforms have historically been largely shielded by Section 230, a provision added to the Communications Act of 1934 saying internet companies are not liable for what users post. Meta, which owns Instagram and Facebook, has repeatedly denied that its apps are purposefully harmful or addictive for young users.
In March, a Los Angeles jury found Meta and YouTube negligent in the design or operation of their platforms and said they failed to adequately warn users of the dangers. It awarded the plaintiff, identified as K.G.M. and now 20, $3 million in compensatory damages, assigning 70% of the responsibility to Meta and 30% to YouTube. In August, Meta agreed to settle a wide-ranging lawsuit with California and other states for about $18 billion, NBC News said. The company denies the allegations and any liability.
Why it matters for families and young users
The Los Angeles trial will test the plaintiffs’ claims against Snapchat’s features in front of a jury, and it involves the kinds of harms that parents and schools have raised. The litigation covers hundreds of families and school districts, and the settlements so far have kept the terms private.
For users, the clearest practical changes cited in the reports are the limits Meta describes in its agreement with the attorneys general: time limits, no access at night and no notifications during school hours.
