Snap Sole Defendant as Meta Settles Trial
Snap sole defendant status is now the shape of a landmark social media trial in Los Angeles, after Meta reached a settlement with the plaintiffs and left Snapchat’s owner as the only company still facing trial. The settlement was announced by the plaintiffs’ lawyers on Friday, days before opening statements.
Jury selection began on Wednesday, Oct 28, and opening statements are scheduled for Nov 4. If Snap does not settle, the trial will go ahead next week with Snap alone.
Snap sole defendant: how the trial lineup changed
The case began with more than one defendant. TikTok and YouTube were also named, but both had already reached settlements with the plaintiffs, known by their initials SJ and KDB, according to their lawyers. Meta had previously settled with SJ, and its new settlement covers the remaining claims against it.
A California state judge consolidated the two cases into a single trial. Snap, which makes Snapchat, will now defend itself against the claims of both SJ and KDB. Lawyers for the two plaintiffs will argue that their clients were exposed to addictive and problematic social media apps when they started using them at ages 13 and 15, according to court documents. Snap disputes that account, saying the evidence will show it put its community first and that the allegations misrepresent its users’ experiences and how Snapchat was designed.
The terms of the Meta settlement are confidential. Sources close to Meta said the company decided to settle for business reasons. A Meta spokesperson pointed to the nature of the process: “Trials, dismissals and settlements are all common in the bellwether process, and this litigation is no exception.” A settlement resolves claims without a jury deciding them, and it is not, on its own, an admission of wrongdoing.
What a bellwether trial means
A bellwether trial is a test case picked from a larger group of related lawsuits. Thousands of lawsuits have been filed in recent years in courts across the United States, with claims about alleged harms to children and teenagers caused by social media companies. The outcome of a bellwether case can shape how the rest are settled or tried, even though it decides only the named plaintiffs’ claims.
The first such case went to trial earlier in 2026 in Los Angeles. Meta and YouTube lost it, when a jury found them collectively liable for harming a young user known as KGM and ordered a combined $6 million penalty. Snap and TikTok had settled with KGM ahead of that trial. In a later August case, Snap, TikTok and YouTube settled with a plaintiff known as RKC, who then withdrew the remaining claims against Meta.
The executives who will, and will not, testify
By settling, Meta has avoided putting its top executives on the stand in this trial. Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram chief Adam Mosseri were expected to be called as key witnesses. Snap chief executive Evan Spiegel is expected to testify if the trial proceeds without another settlement.
The wider penalty history explains why companies prefer settlements. In August, Meta agreed to pay more than $18 billion in penalties, in addition to making changes to Instagram and Facebook for teens, when it settled with 52 attorneys general several days into a trial held in California. That settlement came just a day after Mosseri testified, and before Zuckerberg had been called to the stand.
Why the case matters in Pakistan too
What happens next
Frequently asked questions
Why is Snap the sole defendant?
Meta settled with the plaintiffs on Friday, after TikTok and YouTube had already settled and Meta had previously settled with one plaintiff, SJ. That left Snap as the only defendant in the consolidated Los Angeles trial.
When does the trial start?
Jury selection began on Oct 28, and opening statements are scheduled for Nov 4. If Snap does not settle, the trial will go ahead next week.
What do the plaintiffs claim?
Lawyers for SJ and KDB will argue that their clients were exposed to addictive and problematic social media apps when they started using them at ages 13 and 15. Snap disputes the claims and says the evidence will show it put its community first.
What is a bellwether trial?
A bellwether trial is a test case picked from a larger group of related lawsuits. Its outcome can shape how the rest are settled or tried, even though it decides only the named plaintiffs’ claims.
