A Florida teen who sued Meta over social media addiction has voluntarily dropped his case just before it was set to go to a Los Angeles jury, citing a desire to focus on recovery.
A 15-year-old from Florida has withdrawn his lawsuit against Meta, claiming that Instagram and other platforms caused him addictive behaviors and mental health issues, just days before his trial was scheduled to begin in Los Angeles.
The plaintiff, identified only by his initials R.K.C., had previously settled similar claims against TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube. These lawsuits were part of a larger wave of legal action accusing social media platforms of designing features that foster compulsive use and harm children’s well-being.
R.K.C.’s legal team, Emily Jeffcott and Rahul Ravipudi, told the BBC that their client “came into this process wanting to hold social media companies accountable and push for changes to protect young people like himself. He did that.”
They added that the looming prospect of a jury trial lasting several weeks contributed to his decision to step away, allowing him to focus on therapy and pursue a more normal life.
Meta confirmed the case’s dismissal and stressed that R.K.C. received no financial compensation for dropping the claims.
A company spokeswoman said: “The claims never held up, and this outcome makes clear that we will not back away from defending ourselves against baseless lawsuits.”
The lawsuit had alleged that features like infinite scroll and autoplay drove compulsive use, leading to anxiety, sleep deprivation, and other health issues.
Similar claims had previously been brought by a young woman in the same court, resulting in a $6 million verdict against Meta and YouTube. Both companies have appealed that ruling.
Los Angeles Superior Court is currently overseeing hundreds of similar cases targeting major social media platforms, some of which are selected for trial. The next case is scheduled to begin in October.
Across the United States, thousands of lawsuits claim that platforms like Meta have caused mental health issues in children. Earlier settlements have included an undisclosed payout to a school district for costs linked to student welfare and a $375 million judgment in New Mexico over safety misrepresentations for underage users.
Florida teenager drops social media addiction lawsuit against Meta just days before trial
