Teen drops Meta addiction lawsuit before second trial

An adolescent identified as R.K.C. has withdrawn his lawsuit against Meta just days before a scheduled trial in Los Angeles, avoiding a second high-profile case over social media addiction. The 15-year-old from Florida had sued Meta, YouTube, TikTok, and Snap, alleging their platforms were designed to be addictive and caused him mental health issues including anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts. Source: ABC.es

Agreements and dismissal

R.K.C. reached confidential settlements with YouTube in June, TikTok and Snap in July, leaving Meta as the sole defendant. Source: CNN en Español On Wednesday, his lawyers announced he was dropping the case against Meta without any payment. “A la luz del resultado globalmente exitoso del litigio y de sus preocupaciones por soportar un juicio agotador de varias semanas, ha decidido retirar sus reclamaciones contra Meta,” they stated. Source: Diario Libre

Differing interpretations

Meta framed the dismissal as a victory. “El demandante abandonó su caso contra Meta, el único acusado que quedaba, sin recibir ningún pago. Las reclamaciones nunca se sostuvieron,” a spokesperson said. Source: ABC.es In contrast, R.K.C.’s attorneys argued he achieved his goal: “R.K.C. se incorporó a este proceso queriendo responsabilizar a las compañías de redes sociales y presionar por cambios para proteger a jóvenes como él. Lo logró.” Source: La Voz

Context of litigation

This case was a pilot for thousands of similar lawsuits across the U.S. The first trial in March resulted in a $6 million verdict against Meta and Google for a 20-year-old plaintiff. Source: La República Additionally, Meta was ordered to pay $375 million in New Mexico for misleading consumers about minors’ safety. Source: CNN en Español Meta disputed R.K.C.’s claims, asserting that internal data showed he spent only a few minutes per day on Facebook and Instagram. Source: La República