Snap has reached a tentative settlement with a young plaintiff who accused Snapchat and other social media platforms of using addictive design features that harmed his mental health. The agreement leaves Meta as the only remaining defendant in a trial scheduled to begin in Los Angeles on July 27.
The terms of Snap’s settlement with the plaintiff, identified by the initials R.K.C., were not disclosed. The agreement must still be finalised before Snap is formally removed from the case.
TikTok and YouTube Also Settle
R.K.C. originally sued Snap, Meta, TikTok and Google-owned YouTube. The lawsuit alleges that features including algorithmic recommendations, continuous feeds and notifications encouraged compulsive platform use and contributed to anxiety and sleep problems.
YouTube reached a settlement in June, followed by TikTok at the end of the month. TikTok’s agreement was also described as a settlement in principle, with its financial and non-financial terms kept private.
Snap’s deal means Meta will face the upcoming trial alone unless it reaches a separate agreement with the plaintiff. Meta has denied that its products caused the alleged injuries and has argued that it provides safety tools for younger users.
Earlier Jury Awards $6 Million
The R.K.C. case follows a separate Los Angeles trial involving a plaintiff known as K.G.M., or Kaley. A jury found Meta and YouTube negligent in March and awarded her $3 million in compensatory damages and another $3 million in punitive damages.
Snap and TikTok had settled their portions of that earlier case before the trial began. Meta and YouTube are appealing the verdict after their requests for a new trial were rejected.
The lawsuits focus on platform design rather than individual posts uploaded by users. Plaintiffs argue that functions such as autoplay and infinite scrolling were created to increase engagement while exposing children and teenagers to mental health risks.
More Lawsuits Remain Pending
Snap, TikTok and YouTube have also settled claims brought by a Kentucky school district that sought money for mental health services. That lawsuit was part of wider litigation involving about 1,200 school districts and thousands of individual claims against social media companies.
Meta previously lost a separate case brought by New Mexico, where a jury found that the company had misled the public about risks to younger users. The company is also facing a Tennessee trial over allegations that Instagram was designed to encourage addictive use among teenagers.
Featured image credits: PickPik
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