An 18-year-old Mississippi woman has settled her claims against Meta, leaving Snap as the sole defendant ahead of trial.
A Meta settlement has left Snap as the only remaining defendant in a closely watched social media addiction lawsuit. The agreement allows Meta to avoid a trial scheduled to begin next month.
The plaintiff, an 18-year-old Mississippi woman identified as K.D.B., had already settled with TikTok and YouTube. Her lawyer, Emily Jeffcott, announced the agreement with Meta on Friday, after jury selection began earlier this week in Los Angeles.
Meta settlement narrows addiction case
K.D.B. has described spending hours awake scrolling through social media and struggling to concentrate in class. She also said she engaged in self-harm using methods she saw in social media videos.
Jeffcott said the agreement delivered a fair resolution for her client. She also reaffirmed her commitment to improving children’s safety on social media and holding technology companies accountable.
Meanwhile, Snap chief executive Evan Spiegel is expected to testify in the trial, which could run for several weeks. If he takes the stand, it would mark his first appearance in a social media addiction trial.
The case is among several prominent lawsuits challenging social media platforms over alleged addiction and safety failures.
Snap disputes claims about its platform
Snap, however, argues that the lawsuit misrepresents Snapchat’s design and the plaintiff’s experience of the app. A company spokesperson said Snapchat differs from traditional social media because it opens to a camera rather than a feed.
The spokesperson also pointed to the platform’s safeguards, safety tools and educational resources. Snap said it expects the evidence to support its position that it has prioritised its community.
Snap previously settled another high-profile case involving similar allegations. In that trial, a jury later found against Meta and YouTube, which faced a combined $6 million damages award.
Both Meta and Snap face numerous lawsuits over alleged social media addiction and safety lapses. Separately, Snap recently settled a long-running lawsuit concerning its speed filter. That case involved allegations that the feature contributed to several high-speed car crashes involving teenagers.
