US teen suing Meta over mental health issues drops claims

A lawsuit filed by a 15-year-old boy alleging that Meta's platforms contributed to his depression and anxiety has been dropped against the social media giant. The teenager, referred to as R.K.C., had initially sued Meta, Google, Snap, and TikTok. Attorneys for R.K.C. announced the decision to withdraw claims against Meta just days before the trial was scheduled to begin in Los Angeles.

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In light of the overall successful result of the litigation and his concerns about enduring a grueling weeks-long trial, he has elected to withdraw his claims against Meta.

Google and TikTok settled their cases with R.K.C. in June under confidential terms. Bloomberg reported that Snap Inc. had also reached a tentative settlement. R.K.C. began using social media around the age of eight and claimed addiction, sleep loss, depression, and anxiety, according to court filings.

"In light of the overall successful result of the litigation and his concerns about enduring a grueling weeks-long trial, he has elected to withdraw his claims against Meta," R.K.C.'s attorneys stated. They added that he is ready to "close this chapter and focus on his recovery and engage in therapy as he aspires to have a normal life."

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He’s ready to close this chapter and focus on his recovery and engage in therapy as he aspires to have a normal life.

A Meta spokesperson commented that R.K.C. dropped the claims without any payment. "The claims never held up, and this outcome makes clear that we will not back away from defending ourselves against baseless lawsuits," the company said.

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The claims never held up, and this outcome makes clear that we will not back away from defending ourselves against baseless lawsuits.