Teen Drops Social Media Addiction Lawsuit Against Meta Platforms, YouTube and Snap

In a legal victory for major tech firms, a 15-year-old New Jersey teenager has voluntarily withdrawn her lawsuit against Meta Platforms, YouTube, and Snap. The suit had accused the platforms' design features, including endless scrolling, of causing her social media addiction, depression, and instances of self-harm.

The case, brought by a plaintiff identified in court filings as P. M-Y., was one of thousands of personal injury actions consolidated in Los Angeles state court. Selected as one of three key test cases set to go before a jury this October, the bellwether trial was intended to help both sides evaluate potential damages and settlement strategies for thousands of similar claims.

The defense confirmed that the teenager dropped all charges against the three tech companies without receiving any payout. ByteDance's TikTok, which was originally included as a co-defendant, had previously reached an out-of-court settlement with the teenager for an undisclosed amount.

Explaining her client's choice to step away from the legal fight, plaintiff's attorney Emily Jeffcott stated: "P.M.Y. initiated this process with the goal of holding social media companies accountable and to push for changes to protect young people like herself."

"She resolved her case against TikTok and chose to dismiss the remainder so she could try to resume her life."

Tech leaders welcomed the dismissal and maintained that their platforms offer protective measures for underage users. Pointing to the plaintiff's personal medical history, Meta stated: "This plaintiff had a significant mental health condition that predated her use of social media, and it’s clear that many of these cases fit the same pattern,"

In an official statement, Google-owned YouTube asserted that the case's withdrawal validates their "longstanding position that we provide safe, age-appropriate experiences and strong parental controls for young people and families."

Meanwhile, Snap emphasized its ongoing efforts to refine user safety and well-being features.

This marks the second bellwether personal injury suit against the social media giants to fall apart before trial, following a similar drop by a Florida teenager in July. However, the companies still face significant legal exposure. The inaugural bellwether trial in California state court resulted in a combined $6 million verdict against Meta and Google, proving that plaintiffs could successfully argue personal injury caused by algorithmic design. Two additional bellwether personal injury trials remain slated for October.

At the same time, Meta is currently defending itself against broad governmental actions in Oakland federal court and Tennessee state court, where multi-state coalitions of state attorneys general accuse the social media company of intentionally addicting minors and breaking consumer protection and child privacy statutes.