TikTok has reached an out-of-court settlement in a lawsuit filed by a 19-year-old Californian woman who accused the platform of intentionally fostering addiction and harming mental health. The settlement occurred on the very day jury selection was set to begin for a trial against other tech giants – Meta and YouTube. Reuters reports this, writes UNN.
Details
The plaintiff, identified as KGM, stated that her use of social media since the age of 10 led to severe depression and disorders due to the apps' "manipulative design."
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The terms of the agreement with TikTok remain confidential, but this is the second major settlement in this case after a similar move by Snap Inc. last week. Currently, TikTok remains a defendant in other similar cases, which are consolidated into a large multi-district litigation.
Meta and YouTube prepare for defense
Despite TikTok's withdrawal from the active phase of this process, the court in Los Angeles continues to hear cases against Meta and Alphabet (owner of YouTube). This is the first time in US history that the issue of algorithmic addiction will be considered by a jury. Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify in person during the six-week trial.
Meta and Google deny the accusations, claiming they have implemented dozens of tools for teen safety. However, the plaintiffs insist that features like the "infinite scroll" and notifications were deliberately designed to exploit the vulnerable psyche of minors to maximize advertising revenue. The outcome of this "showcase" trial could determine the fate of more than 3,000 similar lawsuits across the US.