(New York Times) – The settlement means TikTok will avoid a trial where plaintiffs had planned to argue that social media platforms are inherently defective and subject to personal injury liability.

TikTok reached an agreement late Monday to settle a lawsuit over claims that social media companies had engineered their products to hook young users, avoiding the first in a series of landmark trials.

The trial, which is scheduled to begin in the California Superior Court of Los Angeles County with jury selection on Tuesday, is the first in a series of lawsuits expected to be heard this year against Meta, YouTube, Snap and TikTok. The cases stem from lawsuits filed by thousands of individuals, school districts and state attorneys general, accusing the companies of making their products addictive, like cigarettes, and causing personal injury. (Read More)