TikTok Settles Lawsuit With Florida Teen Over Social Media Use

TikTok reached a settlement in a lawsuit filed by a 15-year-old Florida boy who accused the company and other social media platforms of harming his mental health. The terms of the agreement are still being finalized, representatives for the plaintiff’s lawyers said on June 30.

, sued Meta, YouTube, TikTok and Snap, alleging the platforms used features such as infinite scroll and autoplay to encourage addiction.

YouTube settled with R.K.C. the week before June 30. Meta and Snap remain defendants in a jury trial scheduled to begin July 27 in Los Angeles County Superior Court. ’s case is the second bellwether trial in consolidated litigation involving thousands of plaintiffs.

In the first trial, a jury in March awarded $6 million to plaintiff K.G.M. after finding Meta and YouTube negligent in the design or operation of their platforms. Meta and YouTube have said they plan to appeal that verdict.

R.K.C. has used social media since age 8 and was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder tied to that use, his lawyers said. He began seeing therapists in 2023 for anxiety, depression and suicidal ideations.

His attorneys plan to call some of the same witnesses who testified in the earlier trial, including Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram head Adam Mosseri. Snap chief executive Evan Spiegel could appear because Snap has not settled. Judge Carolyn Kuhl, who presided over the first trial, will oversee this one.

R.K.C. is represented by the firm Morgan & Morgan.