TikTok settles social media addiction case with Florida teen ahead of July trial

LOS ANGELES — TikTok has reached a settlement in a lawsuit brought by a Florida teen who sued the company and other social media platforms, alleging they harmed his mental health, according to an attorney for the plaintiff.

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The terms of the settlement are still being finalized, representatives for the plaintiff’s lawyers said on Tuesday.

The 15-year-old boy, identified in court filings by his initials, R.K.C., accuses Meta (the parent of Instagram), YouTube, TikTok and Snap of designing their platforms to be addictive through features such as infinite scroll and autoplay.

“He’s still a kid. He is still in high school and evaluating the impact that social media has had on his very young life,” Emily Jeffcott, an attorney for R.K.C., said in a phone interview Monday. “I think that should really be a lens that’s worth paying attention to.”

A representative for TikTok did not respond to a request for comment.

YouTube also settled with the plaintiff last week, leaving Meta and Snap to face a jury in a trial expected to begin July 27 in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

R.K.C.’s case is the second to go to trial in consolidated litigation brought by thousands of plaintiffs accusing Meta, YouTube, TikTok and Snap of using addictive platform designs that contributed to mental health injuries.

The first bellwether trial, involving a 20-year-old identified as K.G.M., ended in March with a $6 million verdict against Meta and YouTube. The jury found the companies negligent in the design or operation of their social media platforms. Both companies have said they plan to appeal.

During her trial, K.G.M. and her attorneys argued that her heavy reliance on social media — which frequently involved use of Instagram’s beauty filters — negatively affected her self-worth as a teen and led to body dysmorphia. Her addiction to the platforms also worsened her depression and anxiety, she told jurors this year.

R.K.C.’s lawyers said his trial next month will offer a distinct perspective, and therefore a unique case, from K.G.M.’s.

“The impacts on a male and on somebody who’s a minor currently involve different circumstances and things for the jury to evaluate,” said Rahul Ravipudi, another attorney for the plaintiff.

Jeffcott said R.K.C., who has been using social media since he was 8 years old, has been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder tied to his social media use. In 2023, he began seeing therapists for those issues, including his suicidal ideations.

For this trial, his lawyers plan to call on some of the same major witnesses who testified in K.G.M.’s trial.

Mark Zuckerberg and Adam Mosseri defended Meta before a jury this year for K.G.M.’s trial, while Spiegel was removed from the witness list after Snap settled. Snap has not settled in R.K.C.’s trial, meaning CEO Evan Spiegel could testify in court for the first time later this summer.

Judge Carolyn Kuhl, who presided over K.G.M.’s case, will also oversee R.K.C.’s trial.