New Jersey Teen Drops Claims Against Meta, Google, and Snap Weeks Before Trial
A 15-year-old from New Jersey has dropped her case against Meta, Google, and Snap seven weeks before it was due to be heard in Los Angeles. Her lawyer stated she wanted to move on with her life.
The case was one of three significant trials set for October in California state court, chosen to examine allegations that the companies intentionally designed their products to be addictive to minors. TikTok had already settled before the dismissal, a common strategy thus far.
No payment was made to the plaintiff, and her attorney confirmed she initiated the case to hold the companies accountable, but later chose to dismiss it. This is the official reason provided.
The defendants interpreted it differently. Meta claimed the plaintiff had pre-existing mental health issues, YouTube asserted its platform offers safe and age-appropriate content, and Snap highlighted its safety measures, tools, and educational resources.
This is the second time a bellwether plaintiff has dropped out shortly before trial. In July, a 15-year-old from Panama City withdrew his claims days before a Los Angeles jury was scheduled to hear them, also without payment from Meta.
Two teenagers with similar claims against the same companies are still set for October. While losing one bellwether case doesn't collapse the broader litigation—which involves thousands of individual claims consolidated in California and federal court—it does remove a crucial data point for the plaintiffs.
However, the plaintiffs have already achieved a victory. In March, a California jury found Meta and Google liable in the first of these trials, awarding $4.2 million against Meta and $1.8 million against Google. The companies have appealed, but their legal arguments have been unsuccessful.
The core of the dispute revolves around "design defect," a theory that the plaintiffs argue is subject to ordinary product liability law. They accuse the companies of using infinite scroll, autoplay, and notification systems to create addictive products, which the defendants protect under Section 230.
Meta is also facing a separate trial in Oakland against four state attorneys general on overlapping claims, which began this week and is expected to last about six weeks.
The reasons for the consecutive dismissals by bellwether plaintiffs remain unclear. Such litigation involves extensive depositions and cross-examinations on teenagers' mental health, a significant request for anyone, especially at 15.