Snap Inc. has settled the claims of two teenagers, their lawyers announced on Monday, November 2, 2026, two days before opening statements were scheduled in the second social media addiction trial in Los Angeles Superior Court. The case was a bellwether, or test case, chosen to show how juries might respond to thousands of similar lawsuits. Meta Platforms had already settled with both plaintiffs, so the trial will not go forward. The terms of the settlements were not disclosed.
At a hearing on Monday morning, the plaintiffs’ lead trial lawyer told Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl that every company had settled with both plaintiffs. Judge Kuhl oversees the thousands of similar cases grouped together in California state court. Jury selection had begun on October 28.
Who brought the case
The plaintiffs, identified by their initials, are S.J., a 16-year-old from Illinois, and K.D.B., an 18-year-old from Mississippi. Both sued in 2023. Their lawsuits allege that Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube were designed to keep young users hooked and that heavy use contributed to depression, anxiety, eating disorders and self-harm. They say they began watching YouTube as early as age 3 and started using the other platforms around age 9.
Like the other cases, these lawsuits focus on how the apps were built, not on what other people posted on them. The features at issue include autoplay, infinite scroll, push notifications and Snapchat’s streaks, which count how many days in a row two friends have sent each other snaps.
How each company settled
TikTok and YouTube settled with both plaintiffs before trial. Meta had already settled with S.J. when jury selection began and confirmed a settlement with K.D.B. on October 30, which left Snap as the only company still facing trial. Snap chief executive Evan Spiegel had been expected to testify. Snap said in a statement that the parties were pleased to resolve the matter, and the plaintiffs’ lawyers said the settlements move them closer to holding the companies accountable.
Snap has now settled every Los Angeles test case against it before a jury heard any evidence. Snap and TikTok also settled the first case, brought by a young woman identified as K.G.M., before that trial began.
Where the litigation stands
Only one personal injury case in the Los Angeles proceeding has reached a verdict. In March 2026, a jury found Meta and YouTube negligent in K.G.M. v. Meta Platforms, brought by a 20-year-old California woman, and awarded $6 million, half to compensate her and half in punitive damages, which are meant to punish a company for its conduct. Meta and YouTube are appealing. Every other Los Angeles case picked to go to trial early has settled or been dropped.
Thousands of cases are pending in Los Angeles, and more than 3,800 more have been filed in federal court, where they are grouped before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland (MDL No. 3047). Lawyers for the families say the next Los Angeles test trials are scheduled to begin next March. In federal court, the first trials brought by school districts are set for February 2027.
Separately, Meta agreed in August 2026 to settle lawsuits brought by nearly every state. That money goes to the states. Families cannot apply for any of it, and the deal does not affect their own claims.
What the settlements mean for other families
The settlements resolve only the claims of S.J. and K.D.B. They are not class action settlements, so there is no money set aside for other families and no form to fill out. Each family’s claim is pursued individually, and the value of any claim depends on the diagnosis, the treatment required and the facts of the case.
Doyle APC handles social media addiction claims nationwide together with experienced co-counsel.
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