Meta settles Mississippi woman's social media addiction lawsuit ahead of trial

Trial proceeds against Snap with CEO Evan Spiegel expected to testify

Meta has settled a social media addiction lawsuit with an 18-year-old Mississippi woman, reaching the agreement on Friday after jury selection had already started for the trial over claims that Instagram and Snapchat worsened her mental health.

The plaintiff, identified as K.D.B. in the suit, alleged that using Instagram and Snapchat made her mental health worse and contributed to an eating disorder, suicidal thoughts, depression and self-harm, The Hill reported.

Her case was consolidated with that of a second plaintiff, identified as S.J., a teenager from Illinois whose suit alleges that Snapchat’s features boosted her compulsive use of the platform and contributed to depression, an eating disorder, anxiety and self-harm. S.J. settled with Meta last week.

With the two plaintiffs’ claims against Meta resolved, the trial is still set to continue against Snap, the only social media company among the defendants that has not settled. Snap CEO Evan Spiegel is expected to testify in the case — his first trial testimony.

Emily Jeffcott, an attorney representing K.D.B., said in a statement Friday that her team is “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 told The Hill: “Trials, dismissals and settlements are all common in the bellwether process, and this litigation is no exception.”

The settlement is the latest in a series of legal outcomes this year involving Meta and claims that its platforms harm young users. In August, Meta agreed to an $18 billion settlement in a California lawsuit featuring similar claims brought by multiple states, settling with 47 states, three territories and the District of Columbia.

As part of that agreement, Meta set two-hour daily time limits for users younger than 18, introduced nighttime blocks and blocked notifications during school hours.

A Meta spokesperson told The Hill the company will continue to protect teens. “We’ve spent more than a decade building protections for teens,” the spokesperson said, adding, “We hope the rest of our industry joins us in setting this new standard.”

Earlier this month, Meta was ordered to pay $25 billion to New Mexico for lying about the use of users’ data, UPI reported. In March, a California jury found that Meta and YouTube were liable in a suit brought by a plaintiff known as K.G.M., who claimed social media harmed her mental health.