New Jersey teen drops social media addiction lawsuit against Meta, Google, and Snap

A 15-year-old New Jersey girl has dropped her lawsuit against Meta Platforms, Google, and Snap Inc., withdrawing her claims just weeks before they were scheduled for trial in October. The plaintiff, identified in court records as P. M-Y., had alleged that the companies designed their platforms to addict young users, contributing to depression and self-harm.

The case was one of three “bellwether” or test cases selected from more than 3,300 consolidated personal injury lawsuits in California state court. These representative trials are intended to gauge jury reactions and help establish settlement values for the broader litigation. While this specific plaintiff dismissed her case without receiving payment, two other teen plaintiffs with similar allegations are still scheduled for trial in October.

Meta stated that the plaintiff had a significant mental health condition that pre-dated her social media use and noted that many similar cases follow a similar pattern. Google-owned YouTube maintained that it provides safe, age-appropriate experiences and strong parental controls. TikTok has previously settled cases related to these allegations.