TikTok Settles Social Media Addiction Lawsuit Weeks Before Trial
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For the second time, TikTok has agreed to settle a social media addiction lawsuit before the case could reach trial.
The terms have not been revealed, but the settlement will remove the social media giant from a case claiming that it and other popular platforms were designed to intentionally addict users.
That trial is still set to take place, with the companies behind Meta and Snapchat still listed as defendants. Google’s YouTube also settled out of the lawsuit last month.
The case involves a 15-year-old who developed serious mental health issues after using social media. The trial is currently set for late July.
First Social Media Addiction Trial Results in Landmark Verdict
TikTok similarly agreed to a pre-trial settlement in the first social media addiction lawsuit that went before a jury earlier this year.
Snap also settled out of the case, leaving just Meta and Google to face claims brought by a 20-year-old woman who developed anxiety, depression and body dysmorphia after using social media from a young age.
The outcome of the trial was significant. A California jury found the two companies negligent and ordered them to pay a combined $6 million to the woman.
With thousands of similar lawsuits pending in both federal and state courts, that trial was considered a bellwether for the overall strength of the litigation. The upcoming July trial will be closely watched.
Many similar lawsuits have also been filed by school districts claiming that social media companies fueled a mental health crisis across the nation. The first trial involving a school district was canceled after all of the social media companies named in the lawsuit agreed to pay a combined $27 million to Breathitt County, a Kentucky district.