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Teen withdraws Meta case
A 15-year-old from Florida known as R.K.C. dropped his lawsuit against Meta on Wednesday, ending a Los Angeles trial that was set to start days later in downtown Los Angeles.
The civil suit, described as the second bellwether case in a mass tort that includes nearly 2,500 plaintiffs, had been expected to go before a Los Angeles jury on July 27 with Meta as the only remaining defendant after other companies settled.
R.K.C. had alleged that Meta’s platforms and other social media companies caused a crisis of depression, anxiety and addiction among underage users, and court filings said he started using social media when he was about eight and later lost sleep.
The withdrawal came after R.K.C. reached confidential settlements with Google, TikTok and Snap for undisclosed amounts, and the move effectively ended his civil action without Meta having to pay anything.
Plaintiff’s attorney Emily Jeffcott said in a written statement that “He’s ready to close this chapter and focus on his recovery and engage in therapy as he aspires to have a normal life.”
Meta denies wrongdoing
Meta responded that “The claims never held up, and this outcome makes clear that we will not back away from defending ourselves against baseless lawsuits,” framing the withdrawal as a victory after an earlier landmark loss at trial over addiction claims.
The BBC reported that lawyers for R.K.C., Emily Jeffcott and Rahul Ravipudi, told the outlet that the teen “came into this process wanting to hold social media companies accountable and push for changes to protect young people like himself.”
The BBC also said R.K.C. had claimed features including infinite scroll and autoplay drove compulsive use that became a type of addiction, and that he argued it caused him anxiety and sleep deprivation.
In the same coverage, the BBC said the Meta spokeswoman told the outlet that R.K.C. received no payment for dropping his claims.
The Guardian similarly described the withdrawal as happening “days before the trial in Los Angeles was set to start,” with attorneys citing concerns about enduring a “grueling weeks-long trial.”
Bellwethers and next trials
The first bellwether trial, held earlier this year, ended with an LA jury awarding a 20-year-old woman identified as Kaley G.M. $6 million, with 70% to be paid by Meta and 30% by Google, and both companies filed appeals.
The BBC said that initial trial was the first time social media platforms had been held liable for their effects on users, and it reported that the next selected case was set to begin in October according to court records.
Courthouse News said the next bellwether trial is scheduled for October, and that six other cases are in various stages of preparation, with judgments that could serve as reference points for a global settlement.
The Guardian added that European fashion retailers are facing scrutiny after a deadly Bangladesh factory fire, but in this technology-and-science case the focus remains on how the litigation could “hammer out a global settlement, resolving the remaining 2,500 or so individual cases against the tech firms.”
Courthouse News also said such a settlement could see the companies pay out billions of dollars and even lead to major reforms in the industry, while the coordinated litigation before Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl continues with additional bellwether cases scheduled later this year and in 2027.
