Meta avoids another trial over social media harms as teen plaintiff drops lawsuit

Meta has skirted another jury over claims its platforms are facilitating a youth mental health crisis.

The company was set to go to trial in the Superior Court of California for the County of Los Angeles next week, but the 15-year-old plaintiff, referred to as R.K.C, has now dropped the lawsuit.

"In ⁠light of the overall successful result of the litigation and his concerns about enduring a grueling weeks-long trial, he has elected to withdraw his claims against Meta. He’s ⁠ready to close this chapter and focus on his recovery and engage in therapy as ​he aspires to have a normal life," attorneys for ​R.K.C. said in ​a statement.

According to the lawsuit, R.K.C. said he became addicted to social media over the last seven years, and linked his anxiety and depression to extensive time online. Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube were also named in the initial lawsuit, but the companies reached settlement deals with R.K.C prior to going in front of the jury.

"Days after settling with other social media companies, the plaintiff dropped his case against Meta, the only remaining defendant, without receiving any payment," a Meta spokesperson said following the news. "The claims never held up, and this outcome makes clear that we will not back away from defending ourselves against baseless lawsuits."

Meta's spokesperson said the facts of the case could not prove that the company's platforms caused R.K.C.'s mental health struggles. Meta previously called attention to the fact that R.K.C. had not spent significant amounts of time on Meta platforms, like Facebook and Instagram, in a Motion for Summary Judgment. The company also said they could not verify that R.K.C. had a long-standing account history on Meta platforms.

In March, Meta and YouTube were ordered to pay $6 million to another teen plaintiff who accused multiple social media companies of knowingly investing in design features that would hook users, despite knowing of their potential harm. The jury found the two companies liable for mental health-related harms caused by negligent design features and "social media addiction." It was the first time a jury found social media companies responsible for the psychological effects of their platforms on teens.

At the time, Meta said it was appealing the decision. The company has faced multiple lawsuits brought forth by teens, parents, school districts, and state leaders. "Teen mental health is profoundly complex and cannot be linked to a single app," a Meta spokesperson said following the March verdict. "We will continue to defend ourselves vigorously as every case is different, and we remain confident in our record of protecting teens online."