US Teen Drops Lawsuit Against Meta, Google and Snap Ahead of Trial
3 sources across 3 countries · Japan · Philippines · United Kingdom
Who reported this
- The Japan Times
- Rappler
- Reuters
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- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
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A 15 year old girl from New Jersey has dropped her lawsuit against Meta, Google, and Snap Inc. ahead of a scheduled trial. The plaintiff had alleged that the social media companies contributed to her addiction, depression, and self harm. According to court filings, the claims were dismissed without payment. TikTok, which was also a defendant in the case, had previously settled her claims.
The lawsuit was one of three bellwether or test cases selected from a group of over 3,300 personal injury cases consolidated in California state court. These test cases are used by attorneys to gauge jury reactions and guide settlement negotiations for similar claims. The plaintiff's attorney, Emily Jeffcott, stated that her client dismissed the claims to resume her life, though she had initially sought to hold the companies accountable and push for protections for young people.
Meta, Google, and Snap have denied allegations that their platforms harm children, stating they provide safety tools and parental controls. Meta specifically claimed the plaintiff had a mental health condition that pre dated her social media use. While this case was dropped, Meta continues to face trials brought by several US states regarding the addictive design of its platforms. Two other teen cases are still scheduled for trial in October, while a previous individual trial in March resulted in verdicts totaling $6 million against Meta and Google.
How each side framed it
- Centre-left
- This outlet provided more extensive detail on the broader mental health crisis and the specific legal strategies used in the consolidated litigation.
- Centre
- These outlets focused on the factual reporting of the lawsuit's dismissal and the legal context of the bellwether cases.
Sources
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