Facebook Lawsuit
Last updated: September 16, 2026
If you are searching for a Facebook lawsuit, you are probably looking for one of two things. One is money from an old privacy settlement. The other is the lawsuits by families who say Facebook and Instagram harmed their children's mental health. This page covers both, and where each stands in September 2026.
If your child, or you as a teenager, developed serious mental health problems during heavy Facebook or Instagram use, you can ask for a free case review. Whether that history supports a claim depends on the diagnosis, the age when heavy use began, and what the records show. Pick the situation that fits:
Free and no obligation. Deadlines are set by your state, and the rules for someone harmed as a minor can differ. Submitting a review request does not create an attorney-client relationship.
If you or someone you know is struggling:
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988. Available 24/7, free, confidential.
- Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a volunteer crisis counselor.
This page is part of our broader coverage of the Social Media Addiction Lawsuit. Settlement payouts and claim status are covered at Facebook Settlement. Company-wide litigation is at Meta Lawsuit.
This page provides general educational information about litigation involving Facebook and Meta. Except where settlements and verdicts are noted, the claims described are allegations the company disputes. This page is not legal advice.
Which Facebook Lawsuit Are You Looking For?
If you are checking on a settlement payment, or wondering whether a settlement notice is real, go to Facebook Settlement. If your child's mental health suffered during heavy Facebook or Instagram use, the youth harm cases are covered below and at Social Media Addiction Lawsuit. For the company-wide picture, see Meta Lawsuit.
The Privacy Settlements
Facebook's privacy cases ended in some of the largest consumer settlements in history. The user privacy case that grew out of the Cambridge Analytica scandal settled for 725 million dollars. Claims closed in 2023, and payments went to people who filed. An Illinois case over facial recognition settled for 650 million dollars and paid Illinois users. A case over tracking logged-out users in 2010 and 2011 settled for 90 million dollars. Separately, the Federal Trade Commission fined Facebook 5 billion dollars in 2019.
All of these are closed. Their claim deadlines have passed, and there is no way to join them now. Payment history and scam warnings are at Facebook Settlement.
The Youth Harm Cases
Families say Meta built Facebook and Instagram to hook young users, and that heavy use led to depression, anxiety, eating disorders and self-harm. School districts have sued too, over what they say social media has cost them. Meta denies the claims.
Federal cases are grouped together in Oakland, California, and that group listed 3,208 pending cases in September 2026, counting every type of case. California state cases are grouped together in Los Angeles. These are individual lawsuits, and each family files its own. Most of the claims focus on Instagram as much as Facebook. See Instagram Lawsuit for more.
The first family case to reach a jury ended in March 2026. A Los Angeles jury awarded 6 million dollars against Meta and Google, and both companies have appealed. The first federal school district case, brought by a Kentucky district, settled in May 2026 before trial. The next California family trial is expected in October 2026, and the next federal school district trials are expected in early 2027.
Did your child experience serious mental health harm tied to heavy Facebook or Instagram use? You can request a free case review.
Check My EligibilityThe $17.1 Billion State Settlement
In August 2026, Meta settled lawsuits brought by 51 state attorneys general over Facebook and Instagram. Meta will pay the states about 12 billion dollars over 10 years, and up to 17.1 billion dollars if other apps adopt similar teen limits. A federal judge approved the agreement on August 26.
The agreement sets new rules for Facebook and Instagram users under 18. They get a two-hour daily limit across both apps, a block on the apps from midnight to 6 a.m., and hidden like counts. Only a parent can loosen these limits. Most of the rules must be in place by late February 2027.
The same agreement set aside about 459 million dollars for older state lawsuits tied to the Cambridge Analytica scandal. All of this money goes to the states, and there is no claim form for families. The family lawsuits continue separately. The full terms are on our Meta Lawsuit page.
The New Mexico Judgment
New Mexico sued Meta on its own and is not part of the settlement. In March 2026, a jury there set a 375 million dollar penalty. In August, the judge ordered Meta to pay another 567 million dollars into a fund for youth mental health services, and set new rules for teen accounts in New Mexico. Meta plans to appeal. The details are on our New Mexico verdict page.
Suing Facebook on Your Own
People also look into suing Facebook over posts by other users, disabled accounts, business disputes or discrimination. These cases are hard to win. A federal law generally protects platforms from lawsuits over what their users post, and courts have repeatedly turned down free speech claims against private companies. Cases about Meta's own choices, such as how it designed its apps or used people's data, have done better. The youth harm cases are built on that kind of claim.
Other Notable Facebook Cases
Facebook's history also includes disputes from its founding years, shareholder suits, advertising and discrimination cases, and claims by content moderators. The Federal Trade Commission also sued to make Meta sell Instagram and WhatsApp. A federal judge ruled for Meta in November 2025. Most of the older cases that still show up in searches ended years ago.
Related Lawsuit Topics
Facebook Settlement
The 725 million dollar privacy settlement, the biometric and tracking settlements, payment status, and scam warnings.
Meta Lawsuit
The company-wide picture: the $17.1 billion state settlement, the 2026 verdicts, and the family lawsuits.
Instagram Lawsuit
Why Instagram sits at the center of the youth harm claims against Meta.
Social Media Addiction Lawsuit
The full multi-company litigation, the claims, and who brings them.
Social Media Lawsuit Updates
The latest court dates and settlements across all four companies.
Class Actions
Learn how class actions differ from individual injury claims and coordinated mass torts.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Facebook Lawsuit
What are the major Facebook lawsuits?
There are two main groups. The first is the privacy class actions, which ended in large settlements that are now closed. The second is the youth harm cases against Meta, Facebook's parent company, brought by families, school districts and states. The youth harm cases are the ones still active.
Is there a Facebook class action I can join right now?
The well-known privacy class actions are closed. Their claim deadlines have passed and payments have gone out. The active youth harm cases are individual lawsuits, and each family files its own. Be careful with sites that ask you to sign up for an old Facebook settlement.
What was the Facebook user privacy settlement?
Meta agreed to pay 725 million dollars to settle claims that Facebook shared user data with third parties, the case that grew out of the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The claim deadline passed in 2023, and payments went to people who filed. Details are on our Facebook Settlement page.
Can families get money from Meta's $17.1 billion settlement?
No. That settlement pays state governments, and there is no claim form. A family's own lawsuit is a separate case, and the settlement leaves those cases in place.
Can I sue Facebook?
People have sued Facebook over privacy, account problems, discrimination and posts by other users. A federal law generally protects platforms from lawsuits over what users post, so those cases are hard to win. The active group cases focus on how Meta designed its apps. Whether any case fits your situation depends on your facts.
Did Facebook lose any trials recently?
Yes. In March 2026, a Los Angeles jury awarded 6 million dollars against Meta and Google in the first family case to reach trial, and both companies have appealed. The same week, a New Mexico jury set a 375 million dollar penalty against Meta. Meta and the other companies settled the first federal school district case in May 2026, before its June trial date.
Find Out If You May Have a Case
If your child experienced serious mental health harm tied to compulsive use of Facebook, Instagram, or other platforms named in this litigation, you can request a free, no-obligation case review on Lawsuit Center.
Educational purposes only. Submitting a case review request does not create an attorney-client relationship.
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Mass Torts
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Bellwether Trials
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Class Actions
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What Is a Settlement?
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