Meta Lawsuit
Last updated: September 16, 2026
Thousands of families say Instagram and Facebook were built to keep their children hooked, and that their kids were harmed as a result. Meta owns both apps, along with WhatsApp, and it sits at the center of that litigation. In August 2026, Meta agreed to pay state governments up to $17.1 billion to settle the states' cases. That money goes to the states, and the families' own lawsuits are still going. Juries also ruled against Meta twice this year, for $6 million in the first addiction trial and $375 million in New Mexico's child safety case. This page lays out all of it.
If your child, or you as a teenager, developed serious mental health problems during heavy use of Instagram or Facebook, 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. Related coverage includes Facebook Lawsuit, Instagram Lawsuit, and our analysis of the New Mexico verdict.
This page provides general educational information about litigation involving Meta. Except where verdicts are noted, the claims described are allegations that Meta disputes. This page is not legal advice.
The Tracks of Meta Litigation
The phrase Meta lawsuit points at several different things. The biggest is the youth harm litigation, thousands of cases saying Instagram and Facebook were built to hook minors and damaged their mental health. Running alongside it were the state attorney general cases, which Meta settled in August 2026, plus child safety cases like New Mexico's and business cases like the FTC antitrust suit. The older privacy class actions are covered separately at Facebook Lawsuit and Facebook Settlement.
The $17.1 Billion State Settlement
State attorneys general sued Meta in 2023. They said the company knowingly built features to hook young users and misled the public about the risks. On August 18, 2026, a group of 29 states, led by California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey, took that case to trial in federal court in Oakland. Eight days later, Meta settled.
The deal was signed by 51 attorneys general, from 47 states, Washington, D.C., and U.S. territories. Meta will pay them about $12 billion over 10 years. The total rises to as much as $17.1 billion only if Snap, TikTok and YouTube all adopt the same kind of teen time limits, and each of those companies earning more than $10 billion a year also pays the states. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers approved the agreement on August 26, the day it was filed. Meta denies that its apps harm young users.
Tennessee had been trying its own case against Meta in Nashville since July 20. That trial ended the same day, as part of the settlement. Florida, New Mexico and Texas are not part of the deal. Texas reached its own settlement with Meta for about $1 billion, and New Mexico's case is covered below.
What changes for teens on Instagram and Facebook
- A two-hour daily limit, counted across Instagram and Facebook together. Only a parent can loosen it. Long videos, messages and settings do not count toward it.
- No access to the apps between midnight and 6 a.m. Messages and settings still work.
- Notifications turned off from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
- Notifications muted from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays during the school year, except messages and safety alerts.
- A pause at 60 minutes and again at 90 minutes of daily use, plus a reminder after every 15 minutes of continuous use.
- Like counts hidden by default.
- No filters that make a face look surgically altered.
Most of these rules must be in place within six months of the judge's approval, which puts the deadline in late February 2027. The pauses and reminders are due sooner, by late December 2026.
If Snap, TikTok and YouTube all adopt the same kind of limits, Meta's rules get stricter. The daily limit becomes one hour per app, still capped at two hours in total, and the overnight block widens to 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. As of this update, none of the three has announced an agreement with the states.
What the settlement means for families
The money goes to state governments, and each state decides how to spend its share. There is no claim form and no fund for individual families. The agreement states that it does not settle claims by families or school districts. Those lawsuits are a separate track, and they are still pending. Latest dates for those cases are on our social media lawsuit update page.
The Youth Harm MDL and State Coordination
The federal cases are grouped together in California before Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, and that group listed 3,208 pending cases in September 2026, counting every type of case together. It has grown quickly, from roughly 2,400 in March. A matching California state proceeding runs in Los Angeles. The cases come in three kinds. Families sue over injury to a child. School districts sue over what they say social media has cost them, from counselors to classroom disruption. States sued to enforce their own laws, and most of those claims ended with the August settlement. The core claim is that Meta built features to maximize engagement while knowing what they were doing to teenagers, and the families point to the company's own internal research to say so.
For the full multi-defendant picture, see the Social Media Addiction Lawsuit overview.
The KGM Verdict
The first of these cases to reach a jury was brought by a young plaintiff known as K.G.M., and it went to trial in Los Angeles in early 2026. Snap settled on January 22 and TikTok on January 27, both confidentially, which left Meta and Google in the courtroom. Mark Zuckerberg testified. On March 25, 2026, the jury awarded 6 million dollars against the two companies. Three million was for the harm itself, split 70 percent to Meta and 30 percent to Google, and three million more was to punish them. It was the first jury verdict in the addiction cases, and every pending case now points to it. Meta and Google asked for a new trial and the judge said no, so the award stands. Both companies have appealed. Whether that verdict holds up on appeal is the biggest open question in this litigation.
The New Mexico Verdict
One day before the K.G.M. verdict, on March 24, 2026, a New Mexico jury found against Meta on every count in the state's child safety case. That case was about the exploitation of children on Meta's platforms, which is a separate matter from how the apps are designed to hold attention. The jury ordered the company to pay 375 million dollars. It was the first time Meta faced a jury over child safety, and it lost. On August 6, 2026, the judge ordered Meta to put another $567 million into a fund for treatment, screening and prevention services, bringing the New Mexico total to about $942 million. Our full analysis is at the New Mexico verdict, explained.
The School District Bellwether Meta Settled
The first federal test case came from Breathitt County Schools in rural Kentucky, which wanted money for student mental health programs and changes to how the apps work. In May 2026, Snap, YouTube, and TikTok settled with the district on confidential terms, weeks before trial. Meta held out longer, then settled on May 21, three weeks before jury selection was due to start. The trial came off the calendar. Reporting put the combined payment near 27 million dollars against a demand of more than 60 million, with Meta paying around 9 million of it. The companies did not confirm the terms, so the roughly 1,300 district cases filed nationwide have no public figure to measure against. The next district case, brought by Tucson Unified, is tentatively set for early 2027.
The Second State Bellwether
A second test case, brought by a Florida teenager identified as R.K.C., was set for trial on July 27, 2026. YouTube settled first, on June 23, and TikTok followed, both confidentially. Snap settled on July 20. Then on July 22 the plaintiff dropped his remaining claims against Meta, days before jury selection. Meta said it paid nothing. So since the March verdict, no addiction case has reached a second jury. Every one has ended in a confidential settlement or a dismissal at the courthouse door. Three more test trials are reported to be set for late October 2026.
The FTC Antitrust Case Meta Won
On a completely different front, the Federal Trade Commission sued Meta to force it to sell off Instagram and WhatsApp, arguing the company held an illegal monopoly. The case went to trial in 2025 and the court ruled for Meta late that year. It was the company's biggest legal win of the period, and it sits in sharp contrast to the two juries that ruled against it in 2026.
Did your child experience serious mental health harm tied to compulsive Instagram or Facebook use? You may qualify for a free case review.
Check My EligibilityRelated Lawsuit Topics
Social Media Addiction Lawsuit
The full multi-defendant litigation, the legal theories, and who the claims involve.
Instagram Lawsuit
Why Instagram sits at the center of the youth harm claims against Meta.
Facebook Lawsuit
The Facebook cases people search for, from privacy class actions to the youth harm claims.
The New Mexico Verdict
Our analysis of the 375 million dollar child safety verdict against Meta.
Snapchat Lawsuit
The claims against Snap, including its bellwether settlements and safety cases.
YouTube Lawsuit
The claims against Google and YouTube, including its K.G.M. verdict share and its June 2026 settlement.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Meta Lawsuit
What lawsuits is Meta facing?
Several kinds at once. Thousands of youth harm cases over Instagram and Facebook are grouped together in federal court and in a matching California state court. School districts have sued too. Most state attorney general cases ended with the August 2026 settlement, while New Mexico's child safety case continues on its own. Meta also won a separate antitrust case brought by the FTC. Meta denies the harm allegations in all of them.
Can families get money from Meta's $17.1 billion settlement?
No. The settlement pays state governments, and there is no claim form for families. The family lawsuits are a separate track, and the settlement leaves them in place.
What was the $6 million verdict against Meta?
In March 2026, a Los Angeles jury in the first test trial, brought by a young woman known as K.G.M., returned a 6 million dollar verdict against Meta and Google, including punitive damages. Snap and TikTok had settled before trial. It was the first jury verdict in the social media addiction cases. The judge refused a new trial, and both companies have appealed.
What was the New Mexico verdict against Meta?
In March 2026, a New Mexico jury found against Meta on every count in the state's child safety case and ordered it to pay 375 million dollars. That case was about the exploitation of children on its platforms, a separate matter from how the apps hold attention. In August, the judge ordered Meta to put another 567 million dollars into a fund for youth services.
Does Meta face more trials?
The states' federal trial and Tennessee's trial both ended with the August 26 settlement. Thousands of family and school district cases are still pending against Meta. The next California family trial is expected in October 2026, and the next federal school district trials are expected in early 2027.
Has Meta settled the youth harm lawsuits?
Meta settled most of the states' cases, but there is no settlement covering families. Individual test cases have ended in confidential settlements or dismissals, and one went to a jury. Outcomes differ case by case, and thousands are still pending.
What happened in the FTC antitrust case against Meta?
The FTC sued Meta seeking to unwind its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp, alleging an illegal social networking monopoly. After trial, the court ruled in Meta's favor in late 2025, a major win for the company on the antitrust front. That case is separate from the youth harm litigation.
Find Out If You May Have a Case
If your child experienced serious mental health harm tied to compulsive use of Instagram, Facebook, 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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