YouTube and its parent company Google have settled with a minor who claimed the platform caused mental health harms ahead of a second trial over claims the design of social media sites has fuelled a youth mental health crisis.
The terms of the settlement of the state court lawsuit were confidential, the lawyers said on Tuesday.
Google spokesperson José Castañeda said in a statement the lawsuit had been amicably resolved and "our focus remains on building age-appropriate products and parental controls that deliver on that promise."
John Morgan and Emily Jeffcott, lawyers for the plaintiff, known by his initials R.K.C., said in a statement: "YouTube's decision to resolve this case before having to face a jury speaks for itself.
"We will continue fighting on behalf of all those affected by social media addiction to bring these companies to justice and compel them to prioritise the safety of their young users over their bottom lines."
R.K.C., a 16-year-old boy from Florida, said he started using social media when he was about eight, according to court filings. He became addicted to it, losing sleep and suffering from depression and anxiety, according to the filings.
The lawsuit was selected as the second trial testing claims of individuals who say they were harmed by the design of social media platforms like Meta's Instagram, Snap Inc's Snapchat and ByteDance's TikTok. The trial was slated to go ahead against Meta, Snap and TikTok in July.
More than 3300 lawsuits involving addiction claims against social media companies are pending in California state court. Another 2600 cases brought by individuals, school districts, municipalities and states are pending in California federal court.
The first trial, which ended in March, was in the case of a woman who said she became addicted to Google's YouTube and Meta's Instagram at a young age because of their attention-grabbing design. A jury found the companies negligent and ordered Meta to pay $US4.2 million in damages and Google to pay $US1.8 million.
Earlier this month, the judge rejected the companies' bid to set aside that verdict.
Lifeline 13 11 14
Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25)