15-year-old New Jersey girl drops social media addiction lawsuit against Meta, Google and Snap
A 15-year-old girl from New Jersey has withdrawn a lawsuit accusing Meta Platforms, Google and Snap of contributing to her social media addiction and related mental health problems. Her case had been selected as one of three bellwether trials among more than 3,300 similar lawsuits consolidated in California state court.
The girl, identified as P. M-Y. in California court records, had alleged that Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat contributed to depression and self-harm. The three selected cases were scheduled to go to trial in October and were intended to help gauge how juries may respond to similar claims.
Her lawyer, Emily Jeffcott, said the teenager decided to end the remaining claims because she wanted to move on with her life. Jeffcott said the lawsuit had initially been filed with the aim of seeking accountability from social media companies and encouraging changes to better protect young users.
The companies said P. M-Y. dismissed her claims without receiving any payment. TikTok, which was also named as a defendant, had previously reached a settlement with her.
Meta said the teenager had a significant mental health condition before she began using social media and that the case reflected a pattern it sees in many of the lawsuits. The company said it would continue to defend the remaining claims.
YouTube said the dismissal was consistent with its position that it offers age-appropriate experiences and parental controls. Snap said it remains focused on safety, privacy and well-being measures for users.
The wider litigation includes thousands of claims brought by individuals, states and school districts. Meta is currently facing two trials involving allegations that it designed its platforms to be addictive to children and misled the public about their safety. One is being heard in federal court in Oakland, California, and another involving Tennessee is proceeding in state court in Nashville.
Two other lawsuits brought by teenagers against Meta, Google and Snap are scheduled for trial in October. TikTok has settled those cases.
The litigation has already produced significant verdicts. In March, the first individual trial resulted in damages of $4.2 million against Meta and $1.8 million against Google after a woman alleged that she became addicted to social media at a young age because of the design of the platforms. TikTok and Snap had settled before that trial.
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First Published onAugust 21, 2026, 09:14:32 IST
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