Meta Platforms has reached a settlement with a teenage plaintiff who alleged that the tech giant intentionally designed Facebook and Instagram to be addictive, leading to severe mental health struggles and disordered eating, according to her legal representation.
The agreement materialized after jury selection commenced for a high-stakes trial in a Los Angeles state court, which was originally established to test claims brought by two teens—identified as S.J. and K.D.B.—against both Meta and Snapchat parent company Snap Inc.
Meta had previously settled with S.J. just days before the proceedings began. With this latest settlement involving K.D.B., the ongoing trial will move forward exclusively against Snap.
“We remain committed to improving safety for kids on social media apps and holding tech companies accountable, and we are pleased to have brought this matter to a just resolution on behalf of our client,” said Emily Jeffcott, an attorney for K.D.B.
A spokesperson for Meta addressed the legal maneuvers, stating that resolutions and trial processes are standard procedures for managing these disputes.
”We will continue to defend ourselves in court, and we stand by our record,” the spokesperson noted, highlighting that the company has implemented safety features for over ten years.
The current legal action is part of a massive wave of litigation involving thousands of lawsuits filed by individuals, school districts, and government entities across federal and state courts.
Plaintiffs claim that major technology companies—including Meta, Snap, TikTok, and Alphabet’s YouTube—knowingly engineered their platforms to encourage compulsive, addictive usage among minors, worsening a broader youth mental health crisis. Both S.J. and K.D.B. had previously settled out-of-court claims with TikTok and YouTube.
While social media companies maintain that their apps are designed to be safe environments for youth expression and deny deliberately addicting young users, courts have begun weighing heavily on these practices.
In a landmark trial verdict last March, a Los Angeles jury found both Meta and YouTube negligent, awarding a young plaintiff $6 million in damages.