TikTok and Snap, Inc. Settle Out of Landmark Lawsuit on the Eve of Trial

Jury selection was set to begin January 27, 2026, as Meta (Instagram) and YouTube prepare to defend claims that their social media platform deliberately addict and harm children.

Last week, Snap, Inc. (Snapchat) settled out of the lawsuit for an undisclosed amount. This week, TikTok followed suit and settled out of the landmark case for an undisclosed amount.

The upcoming trial is part of the Social Media Cases, filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court.Jury selection will begin for a bellwether trail, at which three plaintiffs will bring their case against Meta and Google. These bellwether trials are often used as “test” cases in order to determine how a jury will view and rule on the issues presented to them. As a result, the potential damage award is used to help facilitate future settlement negotiations.

One plaintiff, identified as K.G.M., has stated the social media sites have created an addiction from an early age, leading to depression and suicidal thoughts. The lawsuit claims the social media platforms “deliberately embedded in their products an array of design features aimed at maximizing youth engagement to drive advertising revenue.” These features include infinite scroll capabilities, autoplay, and algorithmic recommendations designed to foster compulsive use.

As jury selection begins in Los Angeles County Superior Court, interested parties will be watching closely. There is a companion case filed by school districts in the Northern District of California. About 33 states have filed a case against Meta claiming it harms young people and contributes to the current youth mental health crisis in America. In New Mexico, a jury will be selected soon in a lawsuit claiming Meta failed to protect children on their platform from sexual exploitation.

The bellwether trial, which includes Plaintiff K.G.M., will be advancing a theory that the way these social media platforms are designed and maintained makes them inherently defective products, and thus makes the companies – Meta and YouTube – liable for personal injuries.

Plaintiffs in the Social Media Cases are represented by multiple firms, including Beasley Allen Crow Methvin Portis & Miles PC, Panish Shea Ravipudi LLP, and Kiesel Law LLP.