15-Year-Old Girl Drops Social Media Addiction Lawsuit Against Meta, Google, and Snap to Restart Her Life

On Thursday, Meta Platforms, Inc., Alphabet Inc.'s Google, and Snap Inc. scored a major legal victory. A 15-year-old girl from New Jersey dropped her lawsuit against the social media platforms, which alleged they caused her addiction, depression, and self-harm.

Teen Drops Social Media Addiction Lawsuit

The girl, identified in California court records as P. M-Y., voluntarily dismissed her remaining claims against Meta, Google, and Snap, according to Reuters. The companies stated she received no compensation.

Her attorney, Emily Jeffcott, said the girl made this decision because she wanted to "restart her life." Jeffcott said her client initially sought to hold social media companies accountable and push for stronger protections for young users.

TikTok, also named as a defendant, had previously settled with the girl.

Key Bellwether Case Removed from October Trial P. M-Y.'s lawsuit was part of more than 3,300 personal injury cases consolidated in Los Angeles, California court. It was selected as one of three "bellwether" cases set for trial in October.

Bellwether trials serve as test cases, allowing lawyers to gauge how juries might assess similar claims and potentially influence settlements involving thousands of other plaintiffs.

Meta said the girl had "significant pre-existing mental health issues" that preceded her social media use and vowed to defend the remaining cases.

Google subsidiary YouTube said the dismissal confirms its position that it offers a "safe, age-appropriate" experience, while Snap said it continues to focus on strengthening safety measures.

Social Media Mental Health Cases Continue Two other girl cases with similar allegations against Meta, Google, and Snap remain on track for October trial dates. TikTok has reportedly reached settlements in those cases.

The broader litigation includes thousands of cases alleging social media companies harmed children. The companies have denied these allegations.

A single trial in March resulted in a jury awarding $6 million in total damages against Meta and Google, after a woman claimed she developed social media addiction due to the platforms' compelling designs. TikTok and Snap settled before trial.

Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, faces two trials alleging it allegedly intentionally designed its platforms to be addictive to children and misled the public about their safety.

One case involving 29 states is being heard in federal court in Oakland, California, while a separate lawsuit from Tennessee is ongoing in Nashville.

Stock performance: Meta's shares closed Thursday at $545.83, down 0.20%, before rising 0.07% to $546.20 in after-hours trading.

Snap declined 0.57% to $5.21, and clawed back 0.38% to $5.23 in after-hours trading.

Alphabet Class A shares fell 1.17% to $340.67, while a representative of Alphabet Class C shares declined 1.02% to $338.20. After hours, Alpha A rose 0.03% to $340.78, with C unchanged. Meta, which ranks in the 77th percentile for growth performance among Edge Stock Ranking, trades despite showing weak price performance — the company's stock has underperformed in the short, Mid- and long-term.