A 15-year-old girl in California has withdrawn her lawsuit against Meta, Google and Snap, ending one of three closely watched cases that were meant to test claims that social media platforms harm the mental health of young users.
Case was part of over 3,300 lawsuits
The teenager, identified in court filings as P. M-Y, had accused the companies of building features that fuelled her social media addiction, depression and self-harm. Her case was among more than 3,300 personal injury lawsuits filed in California by individuals against social media firms, and it was one of three selected to be heard first as bellwether trials meant to guide how juries might view similar claims. The case had been scheduled for trial in October, reports Reuters.
TikTok was also named as a defendant in her suit but had already reached a settlement with her before the case was dropped.
Teen chose to move on, says lawyer
According to the companies, the teenager withdrew her claims without any payment or settlement. Her attorney, Emily Jeffcott, said the teenager had filed the case seeking accountability from the platforms and hoping to push for stronger protections for young users online, but ultimately decided that moving forward with her own life mattered more than continuing the legal fight.
Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, said the teenager had a pre-existing significant mental health condition before she began using social media, and added that it would continue to defend itself against the remaining lawsuits. YouTube's parent Google said the withdrawal supported its position that the platform offers age-appropriate, safe experiences backed by parental control tools. Snap said its focus remains on safety, privacy and features designed to support user well-being.
Two more cases headed to trial in October
The other two bellwether cases, both also involving teenage plaintiffs with similar claims against the platforms, remain on track for trial in October. TikTok has already settled its portion of both of these cases.
Earlier this year, a related case produced the first major individual verdict in this wave of litigation, when a woman who said she developed a social media addiction as a young user won $4.2 million in damages from Meta and $1.8 million from Google. TikTok and Snap, also named in that case, had settled before it went to trial.
