Key facts
- A Florida teenager suing Meta Platforms Inc. for alleged mental health harms has dropped his case.
- The lawsuit was dropped days before a bellwether trial was scheduled to begin in Los Angeles.
- Meta stated the plaintiff dropped the case without receiving any payment.
- TikTok and Google's YouTube had previously settled with the plaintiff.
- Snap Inc. reportedly reached a tentative settlement prior to the trial.
- The plaintiff alleged that social media platforms created addictive environments contributing to his depression and anxiety.
A Florida teenager, identified as R.K.C., has dropped his lawsuit against Meta Platforms Inc. alleging mental health harms, just days before a bellwether trial was scheduled to commence in Los Angeles. Meta stated that the plaintiff chose to drop the case without receiving any payment.
TikTok and Google's YouTube had previously reached settlement agreements with the plaintiff, and Snap Inc. reportedly reached a tentative settlement prior to the trial. The lawsuit, which also named Snap, Google's YouTube, and ByteDance's TikTok, accused the social media companies of creating addictive platforms that contributed to the plaintiff's depression and anxiety.
The plaintiff began using social media around the age of 8 and claimed addiction led to sleep loss, depression, and anxiety. This decision follows Meta's loss in a New Mexico case earlier this year, where it was ordered to pay $375 million in penalties for misleading consumers about platform safety and endangering children. In a separate March case, a Los Angeles jury awarded a plaintiff $6 million in damages against Meta and Google.