US teenager drops suit against Meta in social media addiction case

LOS ANGELES - A US teenager has withdrawn his lawsuit against Meta, his lawyers announced July 22, closing out a closely watched case over social media’s harms to children’s mental health without a trial.

The withdrawal ends the case days before it was due to go before a Los Angeles jury on July 27 - a trial that would have made Meta the sole defendant after YouTube, TikTok and Snap reached confidential settlements.

The plaintiff, identified by his initials RKC, is a teenager from Florida who claims compulsive social media use contributed to anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts for which he continues to receive treatment.

His case was selected as a bellwether to help resolve thousands of similar lawsuits across the country.

A first bellwether trial concluded in March, when a Los Angeles jury ordered Meta and Google to pay a 20-year-old woman, KGM, US$6 million (S$7.7 million) - a historic first.

“RKC came into this process wanting to hold social media companies accountable and push for changes to protect young people like himself. He did that,” attorneys Emily Jeffcott and Rahul Ravipudi said in a joint statement.

“In light of the overall successful result of the litigation and his concerns about enduring a grueling weeks-long trial, he has elected to withdraw his claims against Meta,” they added.

“He’s ready to close this chapter and focus on his recovery and engage in therapy as he aspires to have a normal life.”

A Meta spokesperson said in a statement: “Days after settling with other social media companies, the plaintiff dropped his case against Meta, the only remaining defendant, without receiving any payment.”

“The claims never held up, and this outcome makes clear that we will not back away from defending ourselves against baseless lawsuits.”

YouTube reached a confidential settlement with RKC in June, with TikTok and Snap following with their own settlements on July 1 and July 20 respectively.

Meta is facing a legal onslaught over accusations that its products are addictive and cause harm to young people.

Another case in New Mexico found Meta liable for misleading consumers about the safety risks its platforms pose to children. The jury ordered Meta to pay US$375 million in damages.

In May, Meta, Snap, TikTok and YouTube reached confidential settlements with a Kentucky school district, averting another landmark trial in the northern California city of Oakland.

In a separate case, more than 30 US states are suing Meta over similar allegations, with a potential trial set for August in Oakland.

Another case against Meta opened in Tennessee this week. AFP