TikTok settles landmark youth addiction lawsuit

TikTok agreed to settle a landmark lawsuit alleging its platform addicted young people, with settlement terms undisclosed. Jury selection starts this week in Los Angeles for bellwether trials that will proceed against Meta and YouTube.

TikTok agreed to settle a landmark lawsuit that alleges its platform addicted young people. The settlement was reached just before a scheduled bellwether trial and the terms were not disclosed. The case centers on a 19-year-old plaintiff identified as KGM and is one of several similar suits. Plaintiff lawyers say TikTok remains a defendant in other cases even after this settlement. Key facts: - TikTok settled its part of the lawsuit just before the bellwether trial; the company did not disclose the terms and did not immediately respond to requests for comment. - Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat, settled last week for an undisclosed sum, according to court filings. - The remaining bellwether trial will proceed against Meta (Instagram) and Google’s YouTube, with jury selection starting this week in Los Angeles County Superior Court. - Plaintiffs allege design choices maximized youth engagement and caused harm; the companies dispute those claims and cite safety measures they have added. Summary: By settling, TikTok removed one defendant from this particular bellwether trial while remaining a defendant in other related cases, according to plaintiff lawyers. Jury selection begins this week for trials against Meta and YouTube, and the proceedings are expected to run for several weeks. The broader legal and policy implications will depend on the outcomes of the ongoing trials.