TikTok reached an out-of-court settlement just hours before jury selection was scheduled to begin in a lawsuit centered on social media addiction, avoiding a public trial at the last moment.
The settlement comes during a turbulent period for the platform. Earlier this month, TikTok’s U.S. operations were formally transferred to a new entity, TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC, controlled by a majority of U.S.-based investors. The move was designed to address national security concerns that had put the app at risk of a potential ban. Since then, TikTok has also dealt with widespread technical disruptions following a power outage at a U.S. data center.
The lawsuit was brought by a 19-year-old plaintiff, identified as KGM, who alleged that TikTok and other major platforms, including Meta, Snapchat, and Google, designed their apps to be intentionally addictive. According to the complaint, KGM said she became dependent on social media at a young age and claimed the platforms’ algorithms contributed to serious mental health struggles.
TikTok finalized the settlement on the same day the trial was set to begin, though the terms of the agreement were not disclosed. In a statement to the BBC, the Social Media Victims Law Center said the parties were satisfied to have reached an amicable resolution.
The case is one of several legal challenges TikTok has faced in recent years, as scrutiny grows over the impact of social media platforms on young users and their mental well-being.