On Thursday, Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META), Alphabet Inc.’s (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOG) Google and Snap Inc. (NYSE:SNAP) scored a major legal reprieve after a 15-year-old New Jersey girl dropped her lawsuit alleging their social media platforms contributed to addiction, depression and self-harm.
Teen Drops Social Media Addiction Lawsuit
The teenager, identified in California court records as P. M-Y., voluntarily dismissed her remaining claims against Meta, Google and Snap, Reuters reported. The companies said she received no payment.
Her attorney, Emily Jeffcott, said the teen made the decision because she wanted to “resume her life.” Jeffcott said her client initially sought to hold social media companies accountable and push for stronger protections for young users.
TikTok, which was also named in the lawsuit, had previously settled the teen’s claims.
Key Bellwether Case Removed From October Trial
P. M-Y.’s lawsuit was one of more than 3,300 personal injury cases consolidated in California state court in Los Angeles. It had been selected as one of three “bellwether” cases scheduled for trial in October.
Bellwether trials serve as test cases, giving attorneys insight into how juries may evaluate similar lawsuits and potentially influencing settlements involving thousands of other plaintiffs.
Meta said the teen had a “significant mental health condition” predating her social media use and vowed to defend the remaining cases.
YouTube, a subsidiary of Google, said the dismissal affirmed its position that it offers “safe, age-appropriate” experiences, while Snap said it remains focused on strengthening safety measures.
Social Media Mental Health Cases Continue
Two other teen cases involving similar allegations against Meta, Google and Snap remain scheduled for October. TikTok has settled those cases, the report said.
The broader litigation includes thousands of lawsuits accusing social media companies of harming children. The companies deny the allegations.
An earlier individual trial in March resulted in verdicts totaling $6 million against Meta and Google after a woman alleged she became addicted to social media because of attention-grabbing platform designs. TikTok and Snap settled before trial.
Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, is facing two trials over allegations that it designed its platforms to addict children and misled the public about their safety.
A 29-state case is underway in federal court in Oakland, California, while Tennessee’s lawsuit is being heard in Nashville.
Price Action: Meta closed Thursday at $545.83, down 0.20%, before edging 0.07% higher to $546.20 in after-hours trading.
Snap fell 0.57% to $5.21, then rose 0.38% to $5.23 after hours.
Alphabet’s Class A shares fell 1.17% to $340.67, while Class C shares dropped 1.02% to $338.20; after hours, Class A gained 0.03% to $340.78, while Class C was unchanged.
According to Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings, Meta ranks in the 77th percentile for growth, although the stock has underperformed over the short, medium and long term.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo Courtesy: Melnikov Dmitriy on Shutterstock.com
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