Florida teen drops addiction lawsuit against Meta days before second bellwether trial was set to begin

R.K.C., a Florida teenager, filed suit in 2023 against Meta, TikTok, YouTube, and Snap, alleging the platforms' "addictive design" caused him sleep deprivation, suicidal thoughts, and other mental health challenges. His case had been designated as the second "bellwether" trial — a test case meant to gauge how juries might respond to hundreds of similar lawsuits coordinated by the Social Media Victims Law Center.

After settling with YouTube, TikTok, and Snap on undisclosed terms in recent weeks, R.K.C. was left with Meta as the sole remaining defendant ahead of trial. On Wednesday, he withdrew that final claim. Meta stated publicly that R.K.C. received no payment. Meta spokesperson Liza Crenshaw said in a statement, "The claims never held up, and this outcome makes clear that we will not back away from defending ourselves against baseless lawsuits."

Attorneys for R.K.C., Emily Jeffcott and Rahul Ravipudi, described the overall litigation as a success. "In light of the overall successful result of the litigation and his concerns about enduring a grueling weekslong trial, he has elected to withdraw his claims against Meta," they said, adding that R.K.C. "is ready to close this chapter and focus on his recovery."