A 15-year-old Florida boy has dropped his lawsuit accusing Meta’s social media platforms of contributing to his depression and anxiety.
The case was withdrawn just days before a Los Angeles trial was scheduled to begin, with the teen’s lawyers citing the strain of a lengthy trial.
Meta said it made no payment to the plaintiff and continues to deny that its platforms caused his mental health problems.
A Florida teenager has withdrawn a closely watched lawsuit accusing Meta of designing social media platforms that contributed to addiction, depression, and anxiety.
The plaintiff, identified in court documents only as R.K.C., dropped his claims just days before a trial was scheduled to begin in Los Angeles. The 15-year-old’s case had been selected as a “bellwether” trial that could have helped lawyers assess the strengths and weaknesses of thousands of similar claims against social media companies.
R.K.C. began using social media when he was about 8 years old, according to court filings. His lawsuit alleged that he became addicted to the platforms, lost sleep, and developed depression and anxiety.
The case originally named Meta, Google’s YouTube, ByteDance’s TikTok, and Snap’s Snapchat as defendants. YouTube and TikTok reached confidential settlements with the teenager, while Snap reportedly reached a tentative settlement shortly before the Meta claims were withdrawn.
That left Meta as the only company preparing to face a jury.
Attorneys for R.K.C. said the teenager had decided against enduring what could have been a difficult, weeks-long trial.
“In light of the overall successful result of the litigation and his concerns about enduring a grueling weeks-long trial, he has elected to withdraw his claims against Meta,” his attorneys said in a statement.
The lawyers said R.K.C. wanted to close that chapter of his life, concentrate on his recovery, and continue therapy.
Meta says it paid nothing
Meta portrayed the withdrawal as a vindication of its position. The company said the teenager dismissed the claims without receiving a settlement payment from Meta.
The withdrawal does not result in a verdict on the allegations. Because the claims were dropped before trial, a jury will not decide whether Meta’s platform designs caused or contributed to the teenager’s reported injuries.
It also does not end Meta’s broader legal battle over youth safety. The Facebook and Instagram parent company faces numerous lawsuits from young users, parents, school districts, and state governments. The cases generally allege that features such as endless scrolling, algorithmic recommendations, and repeated notifications encourage compulsive use among children and teenagers.
Meta has denied that its products are designed to addict young people and points to parental controls, privacy settings, and special protections for teen accounts.