TikTok strikes 11th-hour deal to avoid trial as tech rivals prepare for blockbuster case

The video app TikTok made an 11th-hour deal yesterday to avoid a trial in the US in which it was accused, along with Meta and YouTube, of deliberately turning young people into social media addicts.

- Dara Kerr

The deal was made as jury selection was due to begin in a Los Angeles court for a trial that could establish a legal precedent on whether social media companies have designed their platforms to keep children hooked.

It is the first case in a series of about 22 “bellwether” trials, used as test cases to gauge juries’ reactions and potential verdicts, which could set the tone for a wave of similar litigation across the US. For the first time, a huge group of parents, teenagers and school districts are taking on the world’s most powerful tech companies in open court.

The proceedings are expected to summon chief executives, including Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, to face harsh questioning. Hundreds of US families will allege that platforms provided by Meta (including Facebook and Instagram), TikTok, Snap and YouTube harm children.