After billions in penalties, Meta settles yet another major social media safety lawsuit
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct 31 — Meta reached a settlement in a landmark case over the alleged harms of social media, the p...
Meta has reached a settlement in a significant lawsuit concerning the alleged negative impacts of social media platforms, according to the plaintiffs' legal representatives. The case, which is expected to reach trial next week in Los Angeles, features Snap as the sole defendant, with TikTok and YouTube also named as defendants but both having previously settled with the plaintiffs, identified as SJ and KDB.
Emily Jeffcott, a lawyer representing one of the young women involved in the lawsuit, expressed her commitment to improving child safety on social media platforms and holding tech companies accountable in a statement. The settlement's terms remain confidential, but sources close to Meta have revealed that the company opted for this resolution for business reasons.
A Meta spokesperson confirmed that trials, dismissals, and settlements are common in the ongoing litigation process. If Snap had not settled, the trial would have proceeded next week. Both TikTok and YouTube have previously settled with the plaintiffs, SJ and KDB, respectively. The California state judge consolidated the two cases into a single trial, and Snap will now defend itself against the allegations from both SJ and KDB.
The plaintiffs argue that they were exposed to "addictive and problematic" social media apps when they began using them at the ages of 13 and 15, respectively. While both Meta and YouTube lost the first bellwether case in Los Angeles earlier this year, with a combined US$6 million penalty ordered, Snap and TikTok settled ahead of the trial.
Another case involving Snap, TikTok, and YouTube, which was set to go to trial in August, has since been settled, allowing Snap to avoid a trial. Meta and its executives, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram chief Adam Mosseri, were expected to testify in the upcoming Los Angeles trial. Earlier this year, Meta agreed to pay over US$18 billion in penalties and make changes to its platforms for teens following a settlement with 52 attorneys general.
The company has faced multiple trials, including one in New Mexico where it was found liable for deceiving users about data usage and for harms to children, resulting in a combined penalty of US$942 million.
Written by urgent.news from Malay Mail's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
