Key facts
- A 15-year-old girl has dropped her lawsuit against Meta, Google, and Snap.
- The lawsuit alleged the companies' platforms contributed to her social media addiction, depression, and self-harm.
- TikTok had previously settled claims with the plaintiff.
- The dismissal was reportedly without payment from the remaining defendants.
- Meta stated the plaintiff had a pre-existing mental health condition.
- Two other similar teen cases are scheduled for trial in October.
A 15-year-old girl, identified as P. M-Y. in court records, has dropped her lawsuit against Meta Platforms, Google, and Snap Inc. The lawsuit, which was considered a test case, accused the social media companies of deliberately addicting young people and contributing to a mental health crisis. The plaintiff alleged that the platforms' owners fueled her social media addiction, depression, and self-harm.
According to a court filing, the teen dropped her claims without any payment from the companies. TikTok, also a defendant, had previously settled her claims. Emily Jeffcott, an attorney for the plaintiff, stated that her client chose to dismiss the remaining claims to resume her life, having initiated the process with the goal of holding social media companies accountable and pushing for changes to protect young people.
Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, is currently defending itself in two other trials concerning allegations that its platforms are designed to be addictive to children. One trial is proceeding in federal court in Oakland, California, involving claims from 29 states, while another is ongoing in Tennessee state court. These lawsuits are part of a larger wave of thousands of cases brought by individuals, states, and school districts against social media companies.
P. M-Y.'s lawsuit was one of three selected as 'bellwether' cases, intended to gauge jury sentiment and guide settlement negotiations for over 3,300 consolidated personal injury cases. Meta stated that the plaintiff had a significant mental health condition predating her social media use and that many similar cases follow this pattern. Google's YouTube and Snap reiterated their focus on providing safe experiences and robust parental controls for young users.
Two other teen cases with similar claims against Meta, Google, and Snap are scheduled for trial in October, with TikTok having settled those cases. Another bellwether case was dropped in July when a teenage plaintiff settled with other defendants before trial. In March, an initial individual trial resulted in verdicts against Meta and Google for social media addiction.