Meta settles with a teenage plaintiff mid-trial over claims social media caused depression and eating disorders
Meta has settled with a teenage plaintiff, identified as K.D.B., who claimed Instagram and Facebook were addictive and harmed her mental health, after jury selection had begun; it settled with a second plaintiff days earlier. The terms are confidential, and the trial is expected to continue against Snap.
Left 0 · Centre-left 3 · Centre 2 · Centre-right 2 · Right 1
ContextSources by leanVideoDeep diveFollow the moneyMore coverage
How each side framed it
Left-leaning outlets
Left-rated outlets headline it: “Meta settles with teen during trial testing claims social media caused depression, eating disorders” (CNBC); “Meta settles claims with second plaintiff in social media addiction case” (NBC News).
Centre outlets
Centre-rated outlets headline it: “Meta settles with teen during trial testing claims social media caused depression, eating disorders” (Reuters); “Meta settles with second plaintiff during trial over social media addiction” (The Hill).
Right-leaning outlets
Right-rated outlets headline it: “Meta settles with teen over claims social media caused depression, eating disorders” (New York Post); “Meta settles social media addiction lawsuit, averting trial” (CBS News).
Context
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Sources by lean
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Left 3
Centre 3
- Reuters
Meta settles with teen during trial testing claims social media caused depression, eating disorders (paywall or login) - The Hill
Meta settles with second plaintiff during trial over social media addiction (paywalled or blocks bots) - France 24 top-up
Meta settles, leaving Snap sole defendant in new social media trial (paywalled or blocks bots)
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Video
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Deep dive
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Follow the money
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Who owns or funds the outlets covering this story (8 outlets)
| Outlet | Lean | Ownership & funding (MBFC) |
|---|---|---|
| CNBC | Centre-left | CNBC is owned by NBC Universal, which Comcast owns. Comcast’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is Brian L. Roberts, founded by his father, Ralph J. source |
| NBC News | Centre-left | No ownership data found |
| USA Today | Centre-left | USA Today is owned by the Gannett Company, headquartered in McLean, Virginia. It is one of the largest newspaper publishers in the United States, with interests in newspapers, digital marketing services companies, and television broadcasting. Subscriptions and advertising generate revenue. source |
| Reuters | Centre | In April 2008, the British company Reuters Group was acquired by Thomson Corporation and formed Thomson Reuters. source |
| The Hill | Centre | In 2021, The Hill was purchased by Nexstar, which owns around 200 TV stations and media outlets nationwide. The founder, chairman, president, and CEO of Nexstar is Perry A. Sook. source |
| CBS News | Centre-right | CBS News is owned by Paramount Global, which was formerly controlled by National Amusements, Inc., the holding company of the Redstone family. In 2025, Paramount entered into a merger agreement with Skydance Media, effectively ending the Redstones’ majority control. CBS News generates revenue primarily through advertising and affiliate broadcasting fees..push({}); source |
| New York Post | Centre-right | The New York Post is owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, which owns many conservative/sensational media outlets worldwide. The paper is funded through advertising, subscriptions, and newsstand sales. source |
| Breitbart | Right | After the death of Andrew Breitbart in 2012, Larry Solov became CEO and president of Breitbart News. In 2017, according to Politico, Larry Solov revealed the owner of Breitbart as “himself, founder Andrew Breitbart’s widow, Susie Breitbart, and the Republican mega-donor family, the Mercers.” Further, Solov also stated that he wants “to disclose as little as possible about financial and ownership structure.” source |