Meta Settles Youth Harm Lawsuits as Snap Heads to Trial

Meta Platforms settled lawsuits on October 30 with two teenage plaintiffs, SJ and KDB, who alleged that addictive design features like infinite scroll and autoplay caused depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. The settlements occurred after jury selection had already begun in Los Angeles for a consolidated trial. While TikTok and YouTube had previously settled with both plaintiffs, Meta Platforms initially remained a defendant only in the case regarding KDB before reaching a final agreement on Friday.

Snap Inc. remains the only company expected to proceed to trial in this specific case. The proceedings serve as a bellwether for over 3,000 consolidated lawsuits in the Los Angeles Superior Court. Snap argues that its messaging-focused design differs from Meta's platforms and that the allegations misrepresent the user experience. The presiding judge previously ruled that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act does not shield the companies from claims regarding platform design.

This legal battle follows a series of setbacks for Meta, including a March trial that resulted in a $6 million damages award and a recent $25 billion penalty ordered by a judge in New Mexico. Meta also reached an $18 billion settlement with 52 attorneys general in California. Despite these settlements, Meta has maintained that youth mental health is shaped by many factors and has dismissed similar lawsuits as baseless.