YouTube Sidesteps Latest Social Media Trial With Payout; Meta, TikTok Owners & Snap Still Face Court

Over a month before a second potentially seminal social media trial is set to start in California, YouTube has reached a deal to get out of having to show up in court.

“YouTube’s decision to resolve this case before having to face a jury speaks for itself,” attorneys for 15-year-old R.K.C. said Monday as news of a self described “settlement-in-principle” emerged. The Florida based teen’s trial against the techlords behind YT, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and SNAP had been scheduled to start in downtown LA on July 27.

Very similar to the successful case earlier this year of the plaintiff known as K.G.M, R.K.C.’s action seeks to expose the addictive algorithm assault against minors and spiraling mental health issues that the various platforms engaged in to hook users and monetize them.

No details of R.K.C’s settlement have been made available, but a hefty sum was handed over by Meta, I hear. While there could be more settlements over the next few weeks, as of right now, Meta, Snap Inc., and ByteDance remain defendants in R.K.C.’s case.

Also similar to K.G.M.’s trial, Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg is currently on the list to testify in what will surely be a déjà vu display of deflection and denial. In the last trial, which saw $6 million in damages awarded to K.G.M. and is now facing appeal, TikTok and Snap inked last minute confidential agreements trial began on February 9.

Today, R.K.C.’s team threw down the gauntlet on a case that is emblematic of around 2,500 social media suits and legal actions across the nation, including one continuing in New Mexico that saw a Land of Enchantment jury hit Meta in late March with a $375 million bill of sorts for being negligent in protecting minors from predators on IG and Facebook.

“As jurors saw in the first bellwether trial, leadership at these social media companies have been strategizing for years to hook children early and maximize their usage with insidious features like autoplay and infinite scroll, all with the aim of increasing profits at the expense of the mental health of our youth,” R.K.C. lawyers John Morgan and Emily Jeffcott said Monday. “The tide of the law and public opinion are shifting. While this settlement is another step in the right direction, we will continue fighting on behalf of all those affected by social media addiction to bring these companies to justice and compel them to prioritize the safety of their young users over their bottom lines.”

YouTube owners Google were much more succinct on the settlement, as one would expect.

“For more than a decade, we’ve built YouTube responsibly — working with families to give young people safer, more helpful experiences online, Google spokesperson José Castañeda said to Deadline this afternoon. “This matter has been amicably resolved and our focus remains on building age-appropriate products and parental controls that deliver on that promise.”