US EditionTiktok Settles Social Media Addiction Lawsuit Ahead of Trial
TikTok settled a product-liability lawsuit alleging youth addiction harms; Meta and YouTube face trial as jury selection begins in Los Angeles Superior Court this week.
- On Jan 27, TikTok agreed to settle with a plaintiff and will no longer be part of the Los Angeles County Superior Court trial; settlement terms were not disclosed and the company did not respond to requests for comment.
- Plaintiffs argue the apps' deliberate design choices created addiction and harm, citing behavioral tactics likened to slot machines and cigarette-industry methods to undercut Section 230 and First Amendment defenses.
- A 19-year-old plaintiff identified as K.G.M. anchors the bellwether test case, while jury selection starts this week in Los Angeles County Superior Court with 75 potential jurors per day and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg expected to testify.
- The trial moves forward against Meta and YouTube despite third-party settlements; Snap Inc., parent of Snapchat, settled on January 20 and exited the LA bellwether, while experts warn the verdict could set precedent akin to Big Tobacco trials.
- Later this year, another major trial will begin in the Northern District of California as more than 40 state attorneys general have filed suits and TikTok remains a defendant in other injury cases.
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The video network is one of four companies—along with Meta, Snap, and YouTube, controlled by Alphabet—facing accusations of fueling a mental health crisis among young people.
TikTok Settles High-Stakes Social Media Addiction Lawsuit on Verge of Trial
TikTok settled a lawsuit late on Jan. 26 that alleged social media companies designed their platforms to addict young users, ducking the first in what is expected to be a series of civil trials. The settlement came as jury selection in the California Superior Court in Los Angeles had been scheduled to begin on Jan. 27. The case had been viewed as a possible test case for other lawsuits against TikTok, YouTube, Meta, and Snap that are expected to…
TikTok settles social media addiction lawsuit ahead of trial against Meta, YouTube
TikTok agreed to settle a landmark lawsuit on social media addiction on Tuesday, according to one of the plaintiff's lawyers, the same day the trial was due to start against two remaining companies.
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