Families Sue Meta, Google, TikTok and Snap Over Teen Suicides

The Social Media Victims Law Center filed a lawsuit in the Superior Court of Delaware against Meta Platforms Incorporated, TikTok, Snap Inc., and Google. The suit alleges that the companies' addictive and dangerous platform designs contributed to depression, anxiety, and severe sleep deprivation, leading to the suicides of Livi Castro, Riv Kelleher, Nathaniel Chambers, and Dawson Holden between July 2024 and September 2025.

Google, the owner of YouTube, expressed sympathy for the families and defended its safety policies. Meta, TikTok, and Snap Inc. did not immediately respond to the filing. The legal action follows a legislative stalemate in the U.S. Congress regarding the Kids Online Safety Act.

This lawsuit adds to a growing wave of legal pressure on the industry, particularly for Meta. The company is currently involved in a trial in Tennessee and faces an upcoming federal trial in California involving multiple states. These combined legal challenges contributed to a 14% profit decline for Meta in the second quarter, with the company reporting 2.4 billion dollars in legal expenses.