A 15-year-old plaintiff identified as RKC dropped his lawsuit against Meta on Wednesday, according to statements from his legal team. The case had been scheduled to begin trial in Los Angeles imminently. RKC’s attorneys indicated the decision reflected satisfaction with the broader litigation efforts and the teen’s preference to avoid an extended trial process while prioritizing his mental health treatment.
The original complaint named four defendants: Meta’s Instagram, Google’s YouTube, Snap’s Snapchat, and ByteDance’s TikTok. YouTube and TikTok reached settlements in June, while Snap secured a tentative settlement agreement, with confidential terms in all three instances. RKC claimed he developed an addiction to social media beginning around age eight, leading to sleep deprivation, depression, and anxiety.
Meta stated that RKC received no compensation in exchange for the withdrawal and characterized the claims as lacking legal foundation. The company’s statement emphasized its intention to contest what it described as unfounded litigation. This case follows significant setbacks for the company in recent months, including a March verdict in the same Los Angeles courtroom where a jury awarded six million dollars in damages and found Meta liable for deliberately creating addictive products and failing to warn of associated risks. Additionally, Meta faced a separate judgment in March when New Mexico’s attorney general secured a jury decision ordering 375 million dollars in civil penalties, alleging the company had misled consumers about platform safety and enabled harm to minors.
These cases represent unprecedented findings of social media company liability regarding product effects on young people. More than 2,000 plaintiffs across multiple coordinated lawsuits remain in the litigation pipeline against Meta, YouTube, TikTok, and Snap. Meta initiated an appeal of the March Los Angeles verdict, challenging the jury’s determination regarding addictive design practices. The company continues asserting that its products are not addictive and defending its operational model.
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