Social Media Addiction Lawsuit
Last updated: September 25, 2026
If your child's use of Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat or YouTube turned into something they could not stop, and their mental health suffered, you are one of many families asking whether the companies should answer for it. Thousands of families have sued. Their lawsuits say these apps were built to keep young people hooked. This page explains what the cases claim, who brings them, and where they stand as of September 2026.
If your child, or you as a teenager, developed serious mental health problems during heavy use of Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat or YouTube, 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 provides general educational information and does not constitute legal advice.
- The lawsuits say Meta, TikTok, Snap and YouTube designed their apps to keep young users hooked, and that heavy use harmed their mental health.
- Thousands of family cases are pending, along with about 1,300 brought by school districts.
- In August 2026, Meta agreed to pay state governments up to $17.1 billion. That money goes to the states, and the family cases continue.
- On September 25, 2026, TikTok settled Alabama's case for at least $100 million, three days before the first state trial against it.
- Juries have ruled against Meta twice in 2026, and YouTube shared in one of those verdicts.
For the latest court dates, see our Social Media Lawsuit Update. Company-by-company coverage is at Meta Lawsuit, Instagram Lawsuit, Facebook Lawsuit, Snapchat Lawsuit, TikTok Lawsuit, and YouTube Lawsuit.
What These Lawsuits Claim
The lawsuits say the platforms were built to keep young people scrolling. They point to endless feeds, autoplay, recommendations that keep serving more, and constant notifications. Some apps add their own pull, like Snapchat's streaks, which reward messaging every single day.
The families argue that the companies knew these features could harm children and teenagers and kept them anyway. Much of the evidence comes from the companies' own internal research. The companies deny the claims.
Who Brings These Cases
Most cases are brought by parents on behalf of a child or teenager. Usually a parent starts looking into it after noticing a change in mood, sleep, behavior or schoolwork. Some cases are brought by young adults whose problems began when they were minors.
School districts sue too. They want the platforms to pay for what they say social media has cost them, including counselors, classroom disruption and equipment that keeps phones out of class. Some cities and counties have sued on the same grounds. States have brought their own cases under consumer protection laws.
Which Companies Have Been Named?
Meta owns Instagram and Facebook. Snap owns Snapchat. ByteDance owns TikTok, and Google owns YouTube. Which companies a family sues depends on which apps the child used.
Where the Cases Stand
The first family case to reach a jury ended in March 2026. A Los Angeles jury found Meta and YouTube responsible for harming a young woman identified as K.G.M. and awarded $6 million. Both companies have appealed. The day before, a New Mexico jury ordered Meta to pay $375 million in that state's child safety case.
Since then, the test cases set for trial have ended before a jury. A Kentucky school district's case settled in May for a reported $27 million in total. A Florida teenager's case ended in July after three companies settled and he dropped his claims against Meta.
In August 2026, Meta settled with 51 state attorneys general for up to $17.1 billion, paid to the states over 10 years. The deal also sets new limits for users under 18, including a two-hour daily cap across Instagram and Facebook. It leaves the family and school district cases in place.
TikTok has settled every family and school district case that came close to trial. On September 25, 2026, it also settled the State of Alabama's lawsuit, three days before a jury in Montgomery was set to hear it. Alabama said the app's endless feed was built to hook children and that TikTok misled parents about how safe it is.
TikTok will pay the state at least $100 million, and up to $300 million if certain conditions are met. It also agreed to a two-hour daily limit for teens and an overnight block. The money goes to the state, and there is no claim form for families. The details are on our TikTok Lawsuit page.
The next California family trial is expected in October 2026. The next federal school district trials are expected in early 2027.
Has your child experienced anxiety, depression, an eating disorder, self-harm, or a serious decline tied to heavy social media use? You can request a free case review.
Check My EligibilityWhat Kinds of Harm Do Families Describe?
What families report varies from case to case. These are the harms most often described.
- Compulsive or excessive use of the apps
- Depression or anxiety
- Body image or self-esteem problems
- Eating disorders
- Self-harm
- Sleep disruption
- Withdrawal from school, friends or daily life
Records That Tend to Matter
Families looking into a case usually gather a few kinds of records. Medical and counseling records show the diagnosis and when it began. Screen-time reports from the phone show how much the apps were used. School records can show changes in attendance or grades over the same period.
How the Courts Are Handling the Cases
Federal cases from across the country are grouped together in Oakland, California, before Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, under the name MDL 3047. That group listed 3,208 pending cases in September 2026, counting every type of case. Cases filed in California state court are grouped together in Los Angeles before Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl.
Grouping lets one judge manage the evidence the cases share, and each family's case stays its own. A few cases go to trial first as test cases, and their results help both sides judge what the rest are worth. For how this works in general, see How Lawsuits Work and Mass Torts.
How to look up the court records
Anyone can follow these cases in the public record. The federal case number is 4:22-md-03047. Many of its filings are free to read on CourtListener, where you can search that number in the RECAP archive.
The California cases are filed under Los Angeles Superior Court case number 22STCV21355. You can look the case up on the court's website under Access a Case. Copies of documents there require an account, and the court charges a fee for them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are social media addiction lawsuits still moving forward?
Yes. Thousands of family and school district cases are pending in federal court in Oakland and in California state court in Los Angeles. In September 2026, TikTok settled Alabama's case for at least $100 million, days before trial. The next California family trial is expected in October 2026, and the next federal school district trials are expected in early 2027.
Can families get money from Meta's $17 billion settlement?
No. That settlement pays state governments, and there is no claim form for families. Family lawsuits are a separate track, and the settlement leaves them in place.
Is this a class action?
The family cases are individual lawsuits that courts handle together for the early stages. Each family files its own case, and each case turns on its own facts.
Do these lawsuits focus on content or platform design?
Mostly design. The cases point to features like endless scroll, autoplay, recommendation feeds and constant notifications, and argue those features were built to keep young people on the apps.
What is MDL 3047?
It is the name for the group of federal social media addiction cases handled together in Oakland, California, before Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. One judge manages the evidence the cases share, and each family's case stays its own.
Who usually looks into these cases?
Usually a parent, after noticing big changes in a child's mood, sleep, behavior or schoolwork. Some cases are brought by young adults whose problems began when they were minors.
For where this litigation stands alongside the other major cases, see the litigation status tracker, which is updated as cases move.
Find Out If Your Child May Have a Case
If your child had documented mental health harm during heavy use of Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, or similar apps, you can request a free, no-obligation case review on Lawsuit Center. That includes anxiety, depression, eating disorder symptoms, self-harm, or a serious emotional or behavioral decline.
Educational purposes only. Submitting a case review request does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Related Legal Guides
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The 2026 verdicts, the MDL, the AG cases, and the antitrust win, in one place.
Instagram Lawsuit
Why Instagram sits at the center of the youth harm claims against Meta.
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The claims against Snap, including its bellwether settlements and safety cases.
YouTube Lawsuit
The claims against Google and YouTube, including the KGM verdict share.
Facebook Lawsuit
The Facebook cases people search for, from privacy class actions to youth harm claims.
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The closed privacy settlements, payment history, and scam warnings.
Social Media and Mental Health
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Consumer Product Lawsuits
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How Lawsuits Work
Learn how legal claims are generally investigated, filed, and handled over time.
Mass Torts
Understand how coordinated proceedings work when many similar claims move through court together.
Class Actions
Compare class actions with other forms of coordinated litigation involving many people.
What Is a Settlement?
Get a simple overview of how settlements are discussed in civil cases.
What Is Discovery?
Learn what discovery means and why it matters in lawsuit investigations.
