CHICAGO: TikTok has settled a lawsuit brought by a minor who claimed the platform damaged his mental health, a spokesperson for a law firm representing the plaintiff said Tuesday.
The settlement was reached in principle but the details have not yet been finalized, according to a spokesperson for Morgan & Morgan, which is representing the plaintiff.
The agreement comes ahead of what is expected to be the second trial in California state court over social media’s role in the youth mental health crisis.
The lawsuit, brought by a 15-year-old boy known as R.K.C., named four defendants — Google’s YouTube, Meta’s Instagram, Snap Inc’s Snapchat and ByteDance’s TikTok. YouTube settled in June, whileInstagram and Snapchat remain scheduled for trial in July.
R.K.C., who is from Florida, said he started using social media when he was about eight, according to court filings. He became addicted to it, losing sleep and suffering from depression and anxiety, according to the filings.
