Meta settles social media addiction case before trial

Meta has settled a social media addiction lawsuit before the trial even began, sidestepping a proceeding that had been scheduled to start next month. Snap is now the only defendant left in the case.

The suit is one of many closely watched cases brought against social media platforms. Jury selection in Los Angeles had begun earlier this week.

Background of the case and the settlement

The case was filed by an 18-year-old woman from Mississippi identified as K.D.B. She says she stayed up for hours at night scrolling through social media, which left her unable to concentrate in class, and that she harmed herself using methods shown in social media videos.

On Friday, the plaintiff's attorney, Emily Jeffcott, announced that her client had settled with Meta. The plaintiff had previously reached agreements with TikTok and YouTube as well. In a statement, Jeffcott said her team remains committed to improving children's safety on social media apps and to holding technology companies accountable, and that they were pleased the matter had been resolved fairly on behalf of their client. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed, and Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Snap's position and a possible Spiegel testimony

Snap, the last defendant standing, will go to trial, which is said to be expected to last several weeks. CEO Evan Spiegel is also expected to testify as a witness. If he takes the stand, it would be the first time the founder of Snap has testified in a social media addiction case.

Snap had earlier settled another case containing similar allegations. In a separate trial, a jury ruled against Meta and YouTube and ordered the two companies to pay $6 million in damages.

Snap's defense: an app that opens to the camera

A Snap spokesperson did not comment on Meta's settlement but argued that the lawsuit fundamentally misrepresents how Snapchat works. According to the spokesperson, Snapchat was designed from the start to be different from traditional social media: the app opens to a camera rather than to a feed or a ranked list of other people's posts, and it offers no social comparison metrics.

The spokesperson also said the company has added safeguards to the platform and provides safety tools and educational resources. Snap believes the evidence will support its focus on community, the spokesperson said, and that the claims misrepresent the plaintiffs' experience of Snapchat.

Meta and Snap face a large number of lawsuits over alleged safety shortcomings and social media addiction. Snap recently also settled a long-running case over its so-called speed filter, which was alleged to have played a role in certain high-speed crashes involving teenagers.