Emily Jeffcott, an attorney for PMY, said that her teenage client would prefer to “resume her life” after settling with TikTok than continue progressing claims against other social media companies.
A New Jersey teenager who accused several social media companies of creating addictive and harmful products has dropped her lawsuit against Meta, YouTube, and Snap.
According to The New York Times, the case was “the third of nine major personal injury cases” that could have forced some of the industry’s biggest names to change the way that they do business. All nine of the cases, says the Times, were picked by a California Superior Court judge as broadly representative of a potential class-action lawsuit against the companies.
So far, one California-based plaintiff has prevailed in court, while another had already dropped their claims.
The New Jersey teenager, identified in court documents by the initials PMY, first sued in 2023; at the time, she was 14 years old. PMY, notes the New York Times, settled a related claim with TikTok shortly before the case was scheduled to move to trial.
Emily Jeffcott, an attorney for PMY, said that her teenage client would prefer to “resume her life” after settling with TikTok than continue progressing claims against other social media companies.
“PMY initiated this process with the goal of holding social media companies accountable and to push for changes to protect young people like herself,” Jeffcott said. “She resolved her case against TikTok and chose to dismiss the remainder so she could try to resume her life.”
Liza Crenshaw, a spokesperson for Meta, said that the company will continue defending itself against the remaining claims.
“Another plaintiff in the personal injury trials has dropped her case against Meta after settling with TikTok,” Crenshaw told the New York Times. “This plaintiff had a significant mental health condition that predated her use of social media, and it’s clear that many of these cases fit the same pattern.”
“We’ll continue defending ourselves vigorously in court,” she said.
Google, for its part, said that it remains committed to providing safe, age-appropriate services.
In a statement, Google spokesman Jose Castaneda noted that PMY “voluntarily withdraw their claims against YouTube without payment,” affirming the company’s “longstanding position that we provide safe, age-appropriate experiences and strong parental controls for young people and families.”
Sources
New Jersey teen drops social media addiction lawsuit against Meta, Google and Snap: report
New Jersey Teenager Drops Bellwether Social Media Addiction Lawsuit
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