U.S. teen withdraws lawsuit against Meta over social media addiction

Meta is the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. Photo by KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images

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LOS ANGELES — A U.S. teenager has withdrawn his lawsuit against Meta, his lawyers announced Wednesday, closing out a closely watched case over social media’s harms to children’s mental health without a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

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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.

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The plaintiff, identified by his initials R.K.C., is a 15-year-old from Florida who claims compulsive social media use contributed to anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts for which he continues to receive treatment.

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

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A first bellwether trial concluded in March, when a Los Angeles jury ordered Meta and Google to pay a 20-year-old woman, K.G.M., US$6 million — a historic first.

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“R.K.C. 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.

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

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

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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.”

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

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Meta added that the evidence showed the plaintiff averaged just minutes a day on Facebook and Instagram and he created most accounts only after hiring a lawyer to bring this lawsuit.

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

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

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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.

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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.

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

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Another trial against Meta opened in Tennessee this week.

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