TikTok has settled a lawsuit filed by a Florida teenager weeks before the company was due to face trial in a landmark case over whether social media platforms can be held liable for the mental health harm their products allegedly cause.
The 15-year-old, identified only by his initials R.K.C., accused TikTok, Meta, Snapchat and YouTube of contributing to anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts after years of compulsive use of their platforms. The teenager had earlier reached a settlement with YouTube on June 23.
With TikTok’s settlement, Meta and Snapchat remain the only defendants in the trial scheduled to begin on July 27 in Los Angeles.
Law firm Morgan & Morgan, which represents the teenager, confirmed on Wednesday that “a settlement in principle has been reached with TikTok,” but did not disclose the terms of the agreement.
TikTok had also settled a similar lawsuit in January before the start of what was considered the first trial of its kind.
The upcoming Los Angeles case is regarded as another key legal test that could influence thousands of social media addiction lawsuits pending across the United States.
According to the lawsuit, prolonged use of social media platforms significantly harmed the teenager’s mental health, leaving him with anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts. He is still undergoing treatment.
The plaintiff’s lawyers alleged that social media companies deliberately designed features such as autoplay and infinite scrolling to keep children engaged for longer periods in pursuit of higher profits.
In March, a Los Angeles jury ordered Meta and Google, YouTube’s parent company, to pay $6 million to another young plaintiff, identified as K.G.M., in a related case. TikTok and Snapchat settled that lawsuit before trial without admitting liability.
In May, Meta, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube also agreed to pay about $27 million to settle a lawsuit brought by a Kentucky school district, avoiding a trial seen as a major test for roughly 1,200 similar cases filed by school districts across the country.
Separately, more than 30 US states are pursuing legal action against Meta over similar allegations in a case that could proceed to trial in August in Oakland.
