TikTok reaches another settlement to avoid a jury trial regarding harm to teens.

      TikTok has a consistent strategy in response to lawsuits claiming it endangers children: settle quietly before any evidence is presented to a jury. On Monday, it again opted for this approach.

      According to Reuters, the company has reached settlements in three cases it was meant to contest in October. These cases were pivotal test cases selected from approximately 3,300 lawsuits consolidated in California state court, intended to help both sides understand potential jury reactions. The details of the settlements are confidential, and TikTok has not provided any comments.

      The plaintiffs in these cases are teenagers, identified only by their initials. They claim that excessive use of the platform has led to addiction, anxiety, depression, self-harm, and eating disorders. The company denies these allegations and asserts it takes significant measures to protect young users.

      A pattern emerges throughout the litigation. This is not TikTok's first time avoiding trial; it settled the initial case before it reached the courtroom in February and again in July, and it also resolved the first claim from a school district. In all previous bellwether cases, TikTok has opted to pay rather than defend itself in front of a jury.

      In contrast, its competitors faced different outcomes, leading to substantial consequences. After the first case resulted in a verdict in March, a jury found Meta and Google liable for the mental health damages suffered by a young woman, awarding around $6 million. Both companies are currently appealing. A settlement does not create a legal precedent or require an admission of guilt, making TikTok's confidential payout a less risky option.

      However, the legal battles are far from over. The trial set for October will proceed without TikTok, as Meta, YouTube, and Snap are still prepared to face the three teenage plaintiffs in court, marking the first significant examination of these claims since the March verdict. TikTok has removed itself from this trial, as it did from the one in July.

      While settling these bellwethers does not conclude the legal fight, over 2,600 more cases remain pending in federal court, filed by families, school districts, cities, and states, with nearly every state attorney general having initiated legal action. Two additional school district trials are anticipated for February. Each settlement clears a case from the docket while a multitude of similar claims continues to accumulate.

      This scenario underscores the calculation at play: a verdict establishes a specific number and legal precedent that future plaintiffs can reference. A settlement ensures silence on a case-by-case basis as long as the funding lasts. TikTok seems to be wagering that it can keep issuing payments faster than new cases emerge.

      This article contains discussions of self-harm and suicide. If you or someone you know is in crisis, support is available. In the US, call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline; in the UK and Ireland, reach out to Samaritans at 116 123.