Teen withdraws mental health lawsuit against Meta before trial

A lawsuit accusing Meta of harming a Florida teenager’s mental health has been withdrawn just days before it was scheduled to go to trial in Los Angeles.

The teenager, identified in court as R.K.C., claimed that the design of Facebook and Instagram contributed to his mental health problems.

Before dropping the case against Meta, the teen had already reached confidential settlements with TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube. Meta, the only remaining defendant, said the lawsuit was dismissed without any payment.

The teenager’s lawyers said he decided to end the case after helping draw attention to the impact of social media on young people. They added that he wanted to avoid a lengthy court battle.

Meta still faces over 3,000 similar lawsuits across the US, with several major trials expected to examine claims that social media platforms have harmed the mental health of children and teenagers.