Meta settles with teen in social media depression trial

Meta Platforms has reached a settlement with a teenager who alleged that the company designed Instagram and Facebook to be addictive, leading to her mental health issues and disordered eating, according to her attorneys on Friday. The agreement followed the beginning of jury selection on Wednesday for a trial that was originally intended to challenge the claims of two teenagers, S.J. and K.D.B., against Meta and Snapchat's parent company, Snap Inc. Meta had already settled with S.J. prior to the trial, so the recent settlement with K.D.B. means the trial will now proceed against Snap alone.

Emily Jeffcott, an attorney for K.D.B., expressed Meta's commitment to enhancing safety for young users on social media platforms and holding tech firms accountable, stating that they are pleased to have reached a fair resolution for their client. A Meta spokesperson acknowledged that settlements, dismissals, and trials are part of the process of evaluating cases like this and that they will continue to defend themselves in court, asserting their commitment to their record and the safety tools Meta has been developing.