Meta Settles With Two Teens in High-Stakes Social Media Trial

Meta reached a settlement with a teenage plaintiff identified as K.D.B. on Friday, resolving claims that Instagram and Facebook caused her mental health issues through addictive design. The agreement follows a similar settlement reached with another teen, S.J., just one day earlier. Both settlements remain confidential.

The resolutions remove two major defendants from the upcoming trial in Los Angeles. In the weeks before the current proceedings began, TikTok and YouTube also agreed to resolve the claims brought against them by S.J. and K.D.B. Snap Inc. is now the only remaining defendant in this specific trial, which is currently in the jury selection phase.

The lawsuit alleges that Snap designed features like Snapstreaks and Snapscores to maximize user engagement. The plaintiffs argue these mechanisms trigger compulsive use, leading to severe physical and mental health problems, including self-harm. Opening arguments for the trial are scheduled for Nov. 4.

This case serves as one of four bellwether trials within a larger consolidated group of lawsuits. More than 1,600 plaintiffs, including over 350 families and 250 school districts, accuse tech companies of designing harmful products for young users. The legal challenge tests whether platforms can be held liable despite Section 230 of the Communications Act, which has historically shielded internet companies from liability for user-generated content.

Meta has maintained that its apps are not purposefully harmful. In a statement on Friday, a spokesperson said the company will continue to defend itself in court. The representative noted that Meta spent more than a decade building teen protections and struck a deal with 52 bipartisan attorneys general. That August agreement included strict time limits, nighttime access restrictions, and notifications disabled during school hours. Meta agreed to pay approximately $18 billion to settle with 29 states.

A prior jury verdict in March established a precedent for these claims. In that landmark case, a jury found Meta and YouTube negligent in their platform design. The jurors awarded plaintiff K.G.M. $3 million in compensatory damages, assigning 70% of the responsibility to Meta and 30% to YouTube. The jury determined the companies failed to adequately warn users of the dangers posed by their platforms.

Snap, the maker of Snapchat, issued a statement earlier this week to counter the allegations. The company emphasized that Snapchat opens to a camera rather than a ranking feed. Snap representatives said they built safeguards and safety tools into the platform. They believe the evidence will show the company put its community first and that the lawsuits misrepresent how the platform was designed and experienced by users.