Meta Settles Teen Social Media Addiction Case Weeks Before Los Angeles Trial
The 18-year-old plaintiff known as K.D.B. reached a deal on the eve of opening statements. Snap remains a defendant, and Meta still faces similar lawsuits.
Meta has settled a social media addiction lawsuit, resolving claims against the technology giant before the case was set to go to trial next month, according to a lawyer for one of the plaintiffs.
The suit was brought by an 18-year-old woman identified in court documents as K.D.B., who alleged that Meta and Snap, the parent company of Snapchat, designed their platforms to foster addictive behavior. Snap remains a defendant in the case and disputes the allegations. Another plaintiff in the lawsuit, identified as S.J., settled with Meta last week. The terms of Meta's settlement with K.D.B. were not disclosed.
Jury selection began this week in Los Angeles, with opening statements expected in early November. Lawyers for the plaintiffs have said they expect the trial to last into mid-December. 'We remain committed to improving safety for kids on social media apps and holding tech companies accountable, and we are pleased to have brought this matter to a just resolution on behalf of our client,' said Emily Jeffcott, trial counsel for K.D.B.
A Meta spokesperson, who did not dispute that the company still faces similar lawsuits, framed the settlement as routine. 'Trials, dismissals and settlements are all common in the bellwether process, and this litigation is no exception,' she said in a statement. 'We will continue to defend ourselves in court, and we stand by our record.'
The company pointed to its work on teen safety. 'We've spent more than a decade building protections for teens, and our agreement with 52 bipartisan attorneys general goes even further with strict time limits, no access at night, and no notifications during school hours,' the spokesperson said.
That agreement is part of a larger legal reckoning. In August, Meta agreed to pay up to $17.1 billion to dozens of states that alleged the company used its social platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, in ways that harmed young users. Earlier this month a judge also ordered Meta to pay New Mexico $25 billion over misleading privacy claims, a separate case.
Bellwether cases like this one are chosen to test how juries respond to the central arguments in thousands of related claims. Each settlement before verdict means one fewer public airing of the evidence, but it does not end the broader litigation. With Snap still in the case, jurors in Los Angeles are still expected to hear the plaintiffs' claims about how the platforms were built.
Whether the remaining trial proceeds on schedule, or draws more settlements as opening statements approach, will signal how willing the companies are to put their design choices in front of a jury.
