JAKARTA - Social media giant TikTok has agreed to a settlement in a major lawsuit over social media addiction just before trial was due to begin in a Los Angeles, California, Superior Court.
TikTok's move follows in the footsteps of Snap, which also reached a settlement last week, leaving Meta and YouTube as the two main defendants who still have to face a trial before a jury. Although a principled agreement has been reached, details regarding the compensation amount or terms of the settlement have not been disclosed to the public.
The lawsuit was triggered by a report from a 19-year-old California teenager identified as KGM, who claimed to have suffered from severe depression and suicidal thoughts due to addiction to social media platforms since early childhood. KGM accused the technology companies of deliberately designing algorithms and features that exploit neurobiological techniques - similar to those used in slot machines and the cigarette industry - to maximize the engagement of young users for advertising profits.
The plaintiff's lawyer, Joseph VanZandt, stated that although an agreement with TikTok had been reached, the company remained a defendant in hundreds of other similar personal injury cases.
The trial against Meta and YouTube, which began on Tuesday, January 27, was the first moment for the two technology giants to defend themselves before a jury. This case is one of three bellwether trials that will serve as a benchmark for hundreds of other lawsuits in the future.
If the plaintiffs are successful in winning this case, the impact is predicted to be very profound on the way technology companies operate their businesses and how they handle users under the age of 18.
On the other hand, Meta and Google as the parent company of YouTube strongly deny allegations that they deliberately harm children's mental health. A Meta spokesperson expressed confidence that evidence at trial would show the company's long-term commitment to supporting young people through a variety of protection features.
In line with this, Google insists that providing a safer and healthier experience for young people has always been the core of YouTube's operations. Top executives, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, are scheduled to testify in the trial, which is expected to last six to eight weeks.
Legal experts likened the significance of the case to the major tobacco industry trial in 1998, which ended with cigarette companies being ordered to pay billions of dollars in health costs and restrictions on marketing to children.
The Attorney General's lawsuit asserts that teenagers are not merely "collateral damage" of technological products, but rather direct targets of product design choices that deliberately push them into self-destructive feedback loops. The jury's verdict in this case is expected to provide legal clarity regarding the responsibility of digital platforms for the mental well-being of future generations.
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