US teen drops lawsuit against Meta, Google and Snap ahead of trial

A 15-year-old girl from New Jersey, whose lawsuit is a test case in allegations against social media companies for addicting young people and worsening mental health, has dropped her claims against Meta, Google, and Snap, according to court documents. The teen, identified in California court records as P.M.-Y., had accused the platform owners of contributing to her addiction, depression, and self-harm.

However, the lawsuit was among over 3,300 cases consolidated in California state court, with P.M.-Y. selected as one of three test cases to go to trial in October. The remaining defendants, including TikTok and Snap, had previously settled her claims. The plaintiff's attorney stated that her client sought to drop the remaining claims to move forward with her life.

Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram, is currently defending itself in federal and state courts over claims that its platforms were designed to be addictive to children and misled the public about safety. A trial over claims brought by Tennessee began this week, while another over claims from 29 states continues in state court in Nashville.