TikTok Settles as Bellwether Social-Media Addiction Trial Proceeds Against Meta and YouTube

Overview

• Plaintiffs’ counsel said ByteDance reached a confidential settlement on the eve of jury selection, after Snap settled on January 20.
• Jury selection began in Los Angeles County Superior Court, with trial before Judge Carolyn Kuhl expected to start in the first week of February.
• The plaintiff, a 19-year-old identified as K. G.M., alleges design features that encourage continuous engagement fostered dependency and contributed to depression and suicidal thoughts.
• Meta and Google’s YouTube dispute causation and point to federal protections for user-generated content, while YouTube argues its service differs from social networks like Instagram and TikTok.
• Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify, and the outcome could shape hundreds of related cases coordinated by the Social Media Victims Law Center.