TikTok settles lawsuit over alleged addiction days before Los Angeles trial

TikTok reached an agreement late Monday to settle a lawsuit claiming social media companies engineered their products to hook young users, avoiding a trial due to begin in the California Superior Court of Los Angeles County with jury selection on Tuesday. The case was the first in a series of lawsuits expected this year against Meta, YouTube, Snap and TikTok, brought by thousands of individuals, school districts and state attorneys general.

Plaintiffs seek monetary damages and changes to platform design, arguing that features such as infinite scroll, auto video play and algorithmic recommendations have led to compulsive use and caused depression, eating disorders and self-harm. The Los Angeles case centers on a 20-year-old California woman identified in a 2023 complaint as K.G.M., who said she became addicted to the sites as a child and experienced anxiety, depression and body-image issues.

TikTok and Snap have both now settled the first case, leaving Meta and YouTube as the remaining defendants; Meta’s chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, and YouTube’s chief, Neal Mohan, are expected to testify. Joseph VanZandt, a lead lawyer for the plaintiff, confirmed the TikTok settlement but declined to disclose its terms and said the trial against YouTube and Meta would proceed as scheduled.

Mark Lanier, another lead lawyer, called the agreement “a good resolution.” TikTok did not respond to requests for comment.