Meta settles lawsuit alleging that social media is addictive, averting November trial

Updated on: October 30, 2026 / 3:24 PM EDT / CBS News

Meta has settled a social media addiction lawsuit, resolving claims against the technology giant before the case was set to go to trial next month, according to a lawyer for one of the plaintiffs.

The suit was brought by an 18-year-old woman identified in court documents as K.D.B. who alleged that Meta and Snapchat parent company Snap, which remains a defendant in the case, designed their social media platforms to foster addictive behavior. Another plaintiff in the lawsuit, dubbed S.J., settled with Meta last week.

Terms of Meta's settlement were not disclosed.

S.J. and K.D.B. also originally sued TikTok and Alphabet's YouTube platform, which each separately settled before trial.

The plaintiffs claim that the social media platforms contributed to their mental health struggles.

A spokesperson for the Lanier Law Firm, which is representing the plaintiffs, said they will proceed with their complaint against Snap.

"Each plaintiff alleges that Snap designed Snapchat to maximize the time young users spend on the app, using features such as Snapstreaks, Snapscores, push notifications, and filters, and that their compulsive use of Snapchat caused and contributed to severe mental and physical health injuries…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/moneywatch/