TikTok settled a “social media addiction” lawsuit right before trial — and the Meta/YouTube case moved forward

LOS ANGELES — TikTok has reached a settlement in a closely watched lawsuit accusing major platforms of hooking kids through addictive design, a deal struck on the same day a trial against Meta and YouTube was set to begin. The terms weren’t disclosed, but the timing matters: the case was positioned as a bellwether for hundreds of similar claims that allege social media features contributed to a youth mental health crisis.

The lawsuit was brought by a 19-year-old California plaintiff identified in court filings as K.G.M., who alleged she became addicted to platforms at a young age and later experienced depression and suicidal thoughts. TikTok was one of several defendants, along with Meta, Snap, and YouTube (owned by Google/Alphabet).

TikTok wasn’t the only company to settle. Reuters reported Snap agreed to settle earlier, ahead of the trial. With TikTok out, the legal spotlight shifts even more onto the remaining defendants as the courtroom fight moves into the phase where product design choices, internal research, and executive testimony can become public.

This case has been drawing extra attention because it frames “addiction” as a product-liability problem rather than purely a parenting or personal responsibility debate. The core claim is that algorithms, infinite scroll, notifications, and other engagement mechanics were intentionally built to keep users — including minors — on-platform longer, and that the resulting harm was foreseeable.

The companies have generally argued that their platforms provide value, that tools exist for safety and parental controls, and that “social media” shouldn’t be treated as one uniform product in court. Reuters noted that YouTube has said its platform is fundamentally different from apps like TikTok and Instagram and shouldn’t be lumped together.

What makes the settlement news travel is the implication, even without disclosed terms: when a company settles right before a major trial, readers assume it’s trying to avoid risk — not just financial risk, but the risk of testimony, internal emails, and product decisions being dissected in public. And for families who already blame platforms for kids’ anxiety and sleep problems, the headline reads like confirmation that something is broken, even though settlements are not admissions of wrongdoing.