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A US teenager has withdrawn a closely watched lawsuit against Meta, Google and Snap over claims that their social media platforms contributed to serious mental health problems.
The 15-year-old, identified in court records as P.M-Y., had accused Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Snapchat of contributing to social media addiction, depression and self-harm. The case had been selected as one of three test cases from more than 3,300 similar lawsuits pending in California.
Teen Decides to Move On
According to the teenager's lawyers, she chose to end the case because she wanted to resume her life and focus on her recovery, rather than go through a lengthy trial.
The companies said the claims were dismissed without any payment to the teenager. TikTok, which was also named in the lawsuit, had previously settled her claims.
Legal Battle Is Far From Over
Although this particular case has ended, the wider legal fight over social media and young people's wellbeing continues.
Thousands of similar cases accuse major technology companies of designing platforms to keep young users engaged and failing to adequately warn about potential risks. The companies have denied wrongdoing and say they have taken steps to make their platforms safer for children and teenagers.
The withdrawal means this case will not produce a jury verdict that could have provided guidance for the many other lawsuits still pending.