• 2 min read
Meta avoids its next social media addiction trial
A Florida teen withdrew his planned social media addiction trial against Meta, leaving the company without a settlement payment but facing more cases.
Image: The Verge
Meta no longer has to face the next planned bellwether trial over alleged social media addiction. Less than a week before the company’s lawyers were due back in a Los Angeles courtroom, R.K.C., a 15-year-old Florida plaintiff, withdrew the case.
The lawsuit was intended to test claims that social media companies broke the law by designing features that hooked and harmed teenagers. TikTok, Snap, and YouTube had already settled R.K.C.'s claims for undisclosed amounts. Meta will not pay a settlement in this case.
“In light of the overall successful result of the litigation and his concerns about enduring a grueling weekslong trial, he has elected to withdraw his claims against Meta. He’s ready to close this chapter and focus on his recovery and engage in therapy as he aspires to have a normal life.”
Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said the claims “never held up,” adding that the outcome showed the company would continue defending itself against what it called baseless lawsuits.
More social media addiction cases remain
The withdrawal comes after Meta and Google’s YouTube lost the first bellwether case tried at the courthouse. A jury found the companies negligent and ordered them to pay the single plaintiff $6 million in compensatory and punitive damages.
Separately, a New Mexico jury ordered Meta to pay a $375 million penalty, while the state prepares for the next phase of that trial, which seeks structural business changes.
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Seven more bellwether cases remain scheduled in the California state courthouse in Los Angeles, alongside separate cases in federal court in Oakland. Meta, TikTok, Snap, and YouTube also settled with a school district seeking money for students' mental health-related costs allegedly caused by their platforms.
Meta is still scheduled to face state attorneys general in federal court next month over allegations that it illegally misled the public about harmful and allegedly addictive features.
Culture Editor
Maya explores gaming, streaming, and the internet as a place where people actually live. From deep-dives into creator economies to the anthropology of digital communities, she tracks platform drama and cultural shifts so you don't have to. She believes the best tech stories are fundamentally about human behavior.
via The Verge
