Teen suing Meta over mental health harms drops claims
A Florida teenager who claimed Meta’s platforms were responsible for his depression and anxiety dropped his lawsuit against the company just days before a trial was set to begin in Los Angeles, his lawyers say.
The lawsuit, filed by a 15-year-old boy known as RKC, initially named four defendants: Google’s YouTube, Meta’s Instagram, Snap Inc’s Snapchat and ByteDance’s TikTok, but YouTube and TikTok reached a settlement in June. The terms of these agreements were confidential.
Bloomberg reported on Monday that Snap had reached a tentative settlement in the case.
According to court records, RKC, who started using social media when he was about eight years old, said he became addicted to social media, lost sleep, and experienced depression and anxiety.
“In light of the overall successful outcome of the case and its concerns about enduring a grueling weeks-long trial, RKC has chosen to withdraw its allegations against Meta,” RKC’s lawyers said in a statement. he said.
“He is ready to close this chapter, focus on his recovery, and engage in therapy as he aspires to live a normal life.”
A spokesperson for Meta said in a statement that RKC dropped the claims without receiving any payment.
“The allegations have never been proven valid, and this outcome makes clear that we will not back down from defending ourselves against unsubstantiated lawsuits,” the company said.
