Article ID: 27209c379962438622b9be2670ee8ca6a82ebe1ccb4304ddb66150bd473976f0
Source ID: secondary:businessinsurance.com
Published At: -
Extraction Method: bs4_heuristic
URL: https://www.businessinsurance.com/teen-drops-lawsuit-against-meta-google-and-snap-ahead-of-trial/
Body Text
Teen drops lawsuit against Meta, Google and Snap ahead of trial - Business Insurance Skip to content Register for free Search Search Log In Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Teen drops lawsuit against Meta, Google and Snap ahead of trial Emerging Risks , General liability Aug 21, 2026 (Reuters) – A teen girl whose lawsuit was a test case in litigation accusing social media companies of deliberately addicting young people and fueling a mental health crisis dropped her claims against the owners of Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Snapchat on Thursday, according to a court filing. The plaintiff, a 15-year-old girl from New Jersey identified in California court records as P. M-Y., had alleged the platforms’ owners — Meta Platforms, Google and Snap — contributed to her social media addiction, depression and self-harm. The companies said she dropped her claims without any payment. TikTok, which was also a defendant in her case, had previously settled her claims. Emily Jeffcott, an attorney for P.M-Y., said in a statement her client chose to dismiss the remainder of her claims out of a desire to resume her life. She “initiated this process with the goal of holding social media companies accountable and to push for changes to protect young people like herself,” Ms. Jeffcott said. Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram, is defending itself at two trials over claims from states that it designed its platforms to be addictive to children and misled the public about their safety. One trial, which began this week and deals with the claims of 29 states, is proceeding in federal court in Oakland, California, while another, over claims brought by Tennessee, is ongoing in state court in Nashville. The lawsuits are among thousands brought by individuals, states and school districts against social media companies over claims their platforms harm children. The companies have denied the allegations and say they take extensive steps to keep teens and young users safe on their platforms. P. M-Y.’s lawsuit was among more than 3,300 personal injury cases brought by individuals that were consolidated in California state court in Los Angeles. It was selected as one of three “bellwether” or test cases scheduled to go to trial in October. Attorneys often use bellwether verdicts to gauge how juries may view similar claims, helping them assess the potential value of remaining cases and guide settlement negotiations. “This plaintiff had a significant mental health condition that pre-dated her use of social media, and it’s clear that many of these cases fit the same pattern,” Meta said in a statement, adding that it would vigorously defend against the remaining cases. In a statement, Google-owned YouTube said the decision to drop the case affirms “our longstanding position that we provide safe, age-appropriate experiences and strong parental controls for young people and families.” A Snap spokesperson said in a statement the company remains focused on strengthening safeguards, tools and educational resources to support users’ safety, privacy and well-being. Two other cases brought by teens making similar claims against the same companies are scheduled for trial in October, according to court records. TikTok has already settled those cases. Another bellwether case ended before trial in July, when a teenage plaintiff dropped his claims against Meta after the other defendants settled. The first individual trial in the litigation, which ended in March, resulted in verdicts amounting to $4.2 million against Meta and $1.8 million against Google in a case brought by a woman who said she became addicted to social media platforms at a young age because of their attention-grabbing design. TikTok and Snap settled that case before trial. Related News 2026 Business Insurance US Insurance Awards August 21, 2026 Business Insurance Lifetime Achievement Award: Danielle Lisenbey August 21, 2026 Florida reforms alter legal landscape August 21, 2026 Parametric insurance grows with better data August 21, 2026 Accurate job descriptions aid return to work August 21, 2026 Surge in cumulative trauma claims increases medical-legal costs, litigation August 21, 2026 Data centers spur power generation demand August 21, 2026 Global reinsurers demonstrate robust financial strength — and they need to August 21, 2026 View from the top: Christina Montes De Oca, Coface North America August 21, 2026 Facebook-f X-twitter Linkedin-in Business Insurance is a singular, authoritative news and information source for executives focused upon risk management, risk transfer and risk financing. Never miss important news: Become a Business Insurance Online subscriber today Subscribe Now Information About Us Contact Advertise Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions Copyright 2026. BUSINESS INSURANCE HOLDINGS Member, Beacon International Group, Ltd.
Metadata (JSON)
{
"score": 17.1525
}