Meta Settles With Second Teen Plaintiff, Leaving Snap Alone to Face Social-Media-Addiction Trial

Meta Platforms has reached a settlement with a second teen plaintiff just days after jury selection began in a closely watched trial testing claims that its Instagram and Facebook platforms were designed to be addictive. Attorneys for the plaintiff confirmed the settlement on Friday, according to reports from CNBC and the New York Post. With Meta now out of the case entirely, the trial is expected to proceed against Snapchat parent Snap Inc. alone.

What Happened

The case was built around the claims of two teens, identified in the case as S.J. and K.D.B., who accused Meta and Snap of designing their platforms to be addictive, causing mental health problems including depression and disordered eating, according to CNBC and the New York Post. Jury selection for the trial began on Wednesday, both outlets reported; quiverquant.com and a summary from the Social Media Addiction Lawsuit information center put that date at October 28.

Meta had already settled with S.J. in the days before the trial started, according to CNBC, the New York Post and quiverquant.com. The Friday settlement with K.D.B. means Meta has now resolved both of the claims that were set to go before the jury; the Social Media Addiction Lawsuit information center likewise reported that Meta has settled with both plaintiffs in the California trial.

No Financial Terms Disclosed

Neither CNBC nor the New York Post reported dollar figures tied to the K.D.B. settlement. The quiverquant.com report and a summary from the Social Media Addiction Lawsuit information center both stated plainly that financial terms were not disclosed. No source reviewed for this story includes a settlement amount for either the S.J. or K.D.B. resolution.

K.D.B.'s attorney, Emily Jeffcott, characterized the outcome favorably in a statement carried by both CNBC and the New York Post: "We remain committed to improving safety for kids on social media apps and holding tech companies accountable, and we are pleased to have brought this matter to a just resolution on behalf of our client."

A Meta spokesperson, cited by the New York Post, said settlements, dismissals and trials are part of the process of testing cases like this, and that the company will continue defending itself in court.

Snap Now Stands Alone

With both named plaintiffs settled out, CNBC and the New York Post reported the trial is expected to move forward against Snap only. The case had been selected from among thousands of pending lawsuits as a test case, according to both outlets, meaning the jury's eventual verdict could shape how companies and plaintiffs approach similar claims elsewhere. That dynamic is now narrowed to a single defendant.

Beyond noting that jury selection began on October 28 and that the matter is expected to proceed against Snap alone, none of the reports reviewed specify a new trial date or next scheduling step now that Meta has exited. Readers should treat the trial calendar as unsettled pending further court filings or reporting.

The Broader Litigation Backdrop

This trial sits inside a much larger wave of litigation. CNBC and the New York Post both reported that social media companies, including Meta, Snap, TikTok and Alphabet's YouTube, face thousands of lawsuits in federal and state courts brought by individuals, school districts, municipalities and other government entities. Those suits allege the companies knowingly sought to addict children to their platforms, contributing to a youth mental health crisis involving anxiety, depression and suicide.

The companies have pushed back on those claims. According to the same CNBC and New York Post reporting, the firms have rejected the argument that their platforms were designed to addict young people and say they have taken steps to make their apps safer for younger users.

Reading the Settlement Pattern

Our interpretation of the reported sequence, resolving S.J. first and then K.D.B. just as jury selection got underway, suggests Meta moved to avoid having its specific conduct tested before a jury in this bellwether matter, even as it left Snap to face the trial alone. That reading is consistent with the Meta spokesperson's framing that settlements and dismissals are simply part of how these cases get tested, but it remains our own inference rather than a stated company rationale, since no source attributes a specific settlement motive to Meta beyond that general statement.

Bottom Line

Meta has exited this bellwether trial over social-media-addiction claims by settling with both named teen plaintiffs, S.J. and K.D.B., on undisclosed terms, according to CNBC, the New York Post and quiverquant.com. That leaves Snap as the sole defendant in a case selected from thousands of pending suits as a test of how juries might weigh addiction claims against major platforms, with thousands of similar suits still pending against Meta, Snap, TikTok and Alphabet's YouTube. No source reviewed reports a confirmed next trial date for the Snap-only proceeding.