'The networks keep killing': massive lawsuit against TikTok, Meta and YouTube

The families of four teenagers who died by suicide are suing Meta, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube, alleging that addiction to the platforms led to their deaths. The lawsuit was filed on Thursday in Delaware's Supreme Court on behalf of families from Texas, North Carolina, Minnesota and Tennessee. Attorney Matthew Bergman claims the platforms continue to kill children. Background: stalled legislation in Congress and Meta's legal expenses.

The families of four teenagers who died by suicide are suing Meta (the parent company of Facebook and Instagram), TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube. The families allege that "years of escalating harm" from using social platforms led to the tragic deaths of their children. The lawsuit was filed on Thursday in Delaware's Supreme Court on behalf of four families from Texas, North Carolina, Minnesota and Tennessee, whose children took their own lives over a 14-month period, from July 2024 to September 2025. Attorney Matthew Bergman, founder of the "Social Media Victims Law Center," noted that the fact that the children died long after similar lawsuits had already been filed makes the case significant. "These platforms continue to kill children," he said. According to the complaint, the four teenagers – Libby Castro (13), Reef Kellar (14), Nathaniel Chambers (17) and Dawson Holden (18) – experienced addiction, extreme sleep deprivation, depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts. Google, which owns YouTube, said that youth safety is at the core of its work. Background: KOSA legislation is stalled in Congress, and Meta is facing trials and reported $2.4 billion in legal expenses in the second quarter and a 14% drop in profits.