"A teen dropped her key test-case lawsuit against Meta, Google, and Snap ahead of trial", 21 August 2026

A 15-year-old New Jersey girl dropped her lawsuit against Meta, Google, and Snap on Thursday, withdrawing one of three bellwether cases set to go to trial in October in consolidated social media addiction litigation, according to Reuters.

Court records identified the plaintiff as P.M-Y., a 15-year-old from New Jersey who claimed that Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Snapchat had fueled her addiction to social media and led to depression and self-harm. Meta, Google, and Snap said she dismissed her claims without receiving any payment. TikTok, also a defendant in the case, had previously settled her claims.

Emily Jeffcott, an attorney for P.M-Y., said her client's decision to walk away from the litigation stemmed from a wish to move forward with her life...

Meta said in a statement that the plaintiff had a significant mental health condition that pre-dated her use of social media, adding that it would defend against the remaining cases. Google-owned YouTube said the dismissal affirms "our longstanding position that we provide safe, age-appropriate experiences and strong parental controls for young people and families." A Snap spokesperson said the company remains focused on strengthening safeguards and tools to support users' safety and well-being...