TikTok settles 3 teen addiction lawsuits before California trial
What’s next: claims against Meta, YouTube and Snapchat remain set for an October bellwether trial in Los Angeles.
TikTok agreed to settle three lawsuits from minors who alleged social media platforms were designed to be addictive and damaged their mental health, resolving the cases before a California bellwether trial. The confidential deals cover claims by two 15-year-olds from Illinois and New Jersey and an 18-year-old from Mississippi, whose suits alleged harms including self-harm, anxiety, depression and eating disorders. The cases were chosen from about 3,300 lawsuits consolidated before Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Carolyn Kuhl. Claims against Meta Platforms, Google’s YouTube and Snap’s Snapchat are still moving ahead, with trial scheduled for October.