Alain Sherter\n <\/p>\n<\/section>\n
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Meta has settled a social media addiction lawsuit<\/span>, resolving claims against the technology giant before the case was set to go to trial next month, according to a lawyer for one of the plaintiffs.<\/p>\n The suit was brought by two plaintiffs in 2023 who alleged that Meta and Snapchat parent company Snap, which remains a defendant in the case, designed their social media platforms to foster addictive behavior. Jury selection began this week in Los Angeles, with opening statements expected to begin in early November.<\/p>\n The plaintiffs, a 16-year-old girl identified in court documents as S.J., and an 18-year-old woman identified as K.D.B., originally also sued TikTok and Alphabet’s YouTube platform, but settled with the companies.<\/p>\n “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,” Emily Jeffcott, the trial counsel for K.D.B., said in a statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n Terms of Meta’s settlement were not disclosed. The lead counsel for the plaintiffs did not immediately respond to a request for comment.\u00a0<\/p>\n A spokesperson for Meta, which still faces similar litigation alleging that its social platforms harm users’ mental health, said the company will continue to defend itself in court.<\/p>\n “Trials, dismissals and settlements are all common in the bellwether process, and this litigation is no exception,” she said in a statement. “We will continue to defend ourselves in court, and we stand by our record. We’ve spent more than a decade building protections for teens, and our agreement with 52 bipartisan attorneys general goes even further with strict time limits, no access at night, and no notifications during school hours.”\u00a0<\/p>\n The trial is now set to focus on the plaintiffs’ claims against Snap. Both have said in court filings that using Snapchat from a young age contributed to mental health problems. Lawyers for the plaintiffs have said they expect the trial to last into mid-December.<\/p>\n Snap did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n In August, Meta agreed to pay up to $17.1 billion<\/span> to dozens of states that alleged the company used its social platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, to hook young internet users while concealing the risks.\u00a0<\/p>\n