Teenager accuses social networks of causing depression; TikTok reaches settlement before trial

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TikTok reached an agreement to settle a lawsuit filed by a teenager just weeks before the company faces a trial considered important in defining the responsibility of social networks for damage to mental health caused by dependence on its platforms.
The 15-year-old teenager from Florida, identified only by the initials R.K.C., accuses four companies of having harmed his mental health. On June 23, he had already reached an agreement with YouTube. Meta and Snapchat remain as defendants in the case, whose trial is scheduled to begin on July 27.
"We can confirm that an agreement in principle has been reached with TikTok," Morgan & Morgan, which represents the teenager, informed AFP this Wednesday (1st). The terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
TikTok had also concluded, in January, another similar process - the first of its kind involving the company.
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Teenager is still undergoing treatment for depression and anxiety
The trial, which will be held in a Los Angeles court, is considered another milestone in defining how thousands of actions related to social media addiction in the United States could evolve.
According to action, years of compulsive use of platforms contributed to the teenager developing serious mental health problems, such as anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts. He claims he is still undergoing treatment.
Following the agreement with YouTube, lawyers at Morgan & Morgan stated that social media companies "have been devising strategies for years to hook children from an early age and maximize their use, through features such as autoplay and infinite scrolling, all with the aim of increasing their profits at the expense of the mental health of our young people."
Fine exceeds R$30 million
In March, a Los Angeles jury ruled that Meta and Google, the parent company from YouTube, paid US$6 million (around R$31.23 million) to another young woman. At the time, TikTok and Snap also closed the case through pre-trial settlements, without admitting liability.
In May, Meta, Snap, TikTok and YouTube agreed to pay around US$27 million (R$140.55 million) to a Kentucky school district to avoid another trial. The lawsuit is considered a test case for about 1,200 similar lawsuits filed by school districts across the country.
Additionally, in another lawsuit that could go to trial in August in Oakland, more than 30 U.S. states are suing Meta on similar charges.

Source: G1