TikTok settles with 19-year-old plaintiff who claims social media addiction caused depression and suicidal thoughts

TikTok has reached a settlement in a lawsuit claiming its platform caused addiction in young users, according to the plaintiff’s attorney on Tuesday. The agreement comes as jury selection begins for what could be a groundbreaking trial against major social media companies.

A 19-year-old woman from California, known in court papers as K.G.M., filed the case, saying she got hooked on social media when she was younger. Court documents show she blames the apps for her depression and thoughts of suicide. She wants the companies behind these platforms to answer for what happened to her.

Joseph VanZandt, who represents K.G.M., said his client “reached an agreement in principle to settle her case” with TikTok. The company has not shared any information about the settlement terms.

K.G.M. originally sued four companies. YouTube, Meta, Snap, and TikTok. Snap already settled with her on January 20.

The trial starts Tuesday in the Los Angeles Superior Court. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is expected to take the witness stand as part of the proceedings.

K.G.M.’s case is one of three test cases picked from hundreds of similar lawsuits across the country. Legal experts call these “bellwether” trials because their outcomes could shape what happens with all the other cases.

First major trial in wave of 2026 cases

This marks the first major trial of its kind set to begin in 2026. Several other high-profile cases are lined up, all claiming the companies lied to the public about how safe their apps are. The lawsuits say the companies knew certain features in their apps hurt young people but kept quiet about it.

For years, social media companies have used Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act to protect themselves. This law shields internet platforms from being blamed for what users post. Because of this, the people suing are focusing on problems with how the apps are built and claim that companies misled everyone about safety.

Some experts compare these trials to the cases against Big Tobacco in the 1990s. They say the results could change how people view these companies and how the government regulates them for years to come.

In January 2024, lawmakers questioned several social media bosses, including Zuckerberg, during a Senate hearing about protecting children on their platforms.

Another trial starts next week in Santa Fe, New Mexico. There, the state’s attorney general claims Meta’s Facebook and Instagram failed to stop online predators from sexually exploiting children on their platforms.

That New Mexico case is different from other lawsuits filed by state attorneys general around the country. Those cases claim that design problems in Meta apps have damaged children’s mental health. Meta says it expects those trials to start sometime in the second half of 2026.

A federal trial is also planned for later this year in the Northern District of California involving Meta, TikTok, YouTube, and Snap. That case also claims these companies built faulty apps that push unhealthy and addictive habits in teens and children.

New York City filed its own lawsuit in October against Meta, Google, Snap, and TikTok, saying they created addictive platforms that harm children’s mental health.

K.G.M. and her mother first filed this lawsuit in 2022. The case claims tech companies knew they were designing features like auto play and infinite scroll to make their platforms addictive, which led to mental health problems.

Google said last week the trial should run six to eight weeks. Picking a jury could take up to a week, with opening statements expected in early February.

High-profile executives expected to testify

In October 2025, Judge Carolyn Kuhl ruled that Zuckerberg and Instagram chief Adam Mosseri must testify. Google said either CEO Sundar Pichai or YouTube CEO Neal Mohan might be called, but neither has been ordered to appear yet.

Google said it is not a social media platform like the other defendants. The company called itself a streaming platform that works with experts to build experiences right for different ages.

“Providing young people with a safer, healthier experience has always been core to our work,” a Google spokesperson said. “The allegations in these complaints are simply not true.”

A Meta spokesperson pointed to a recent blog post laying out the company’s argument, saying recent lawsuits misrepresent its work to create safe experiences for young people.

“Protecting teens while allowing them to access the benefits of social media is one of the most important challenges our industry must address,” the Meta blog says.

The financial stakes are huge. While the three companies are named together as defendants, the judge could rule separately for each one and hand down different penalties. Meta warned in an October filing that if found liable, monetary damages from certain cases could reach the high tens of billions of dollars.