Social Media Addiction Lawsuit Update
Last updated: September 25, 2026
If your child's use of Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat or YouTube turned into something they could not put down, and their mental health paid for it, you have probably seen the news about Meta's $17 billion settlement. That money goes to state governments. Families who filed their own lawsuits are still waiting on those cases. This page explains what the settlement changes and where the family cases stand now.
If your child, or you as a teenager, developed serious mental health problems during heavy social media 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 provides general educational information and does not constitute legal advice.
- On September 25, 2026, TikTok settled Alabama's case for at least $100 million, three days before the first state trial against it. The money goes to the state, and TikTok agreed to new limits for teens.
- In August 2026, Meta agreed to pay state governments about $12 billion over 10 years, rising to as much as $17.1 billion if Snap, TikTok and YouTube adopt similar teen limits.
- YouTube has settled individual cases, including a Florida teenager's case in June, but has announced no deal with the states.
- The settlement also sets new limits for users under 18, including a two-hour daily cap across Instagram and Facebook.
- Families have no claim form to fill out. Their own injury lawsuits continue in federal court and in California state court.
- The next California trial for a family's case is expected in October 2026.
Looking for the main overview? Read our Social Media Addiction Lawsuit guide. For everything involving Meta in one place, see the Meta Lawsuit page.
Latest: TikTok Settles With Alabama
On September 25, 2026, the State of Alabama announced a settlement with TikTok and ByteDance. A jury in Montgomery was set to begin hearing the state's case on September 28, in what would have been the first TikTok trial in this litigation. It is TikTok's first settlement with a state.
TikTok will pay Alabama at least $100 million within 45 days. The payment can rise to $300 million if certain conditions are met, and the state has not said publicly what those conditions are. TikTok also agreed to new rules for teen users. They include a two-hour daily limit, prompts that interrupt nonstop scrolling at 15, 60 and 90 minutes, and no access between midnight and 6 a.m. They also include stronger age checks and a ban on beauty filters for teens.
Alabama said TikTok's endless feed makes it the most addictive social media app, and that its recommendations push young users toward more and more intense videos about violence and self-harm. The state also said TikTok told parents and app stores that it limits sexual and violent content for young users when it does not. TikTok says it built the app with teen safety as a priority.
The money goes to the state. Families get nothing from it directly, and there is no claim form. Family lawsuits against TikTok continue on their own track. Our TikTok Lawsuit page covers the Alabama deal and TikTok's other settlements in detail.
What Happened in August 2026
On August 18, a trial opened in federal court in Oakland, California. A group of 29 states, led by California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey, argued that Meta designed Instagram and Facebook to hook children and kept quiet about the harm. 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. That trial ended the same day, as part of the settlement.
What changes on Instagram and Facebook for teens
The settlement comes with rules for users under 18. These are the main ones in the filed agreement.
- 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.
Where Snap, TikTok and YouTube fit
The settlement names three other companies: Snap, TikTok and YouTube. Meta pays the higher $17.1 billion total only if all three adopt the same kind of teen time limits, and each of them earning more than $10 billion a year also pays the states. If that happens, Meta's teen limit drops to one hour per app, and its overnight block widens to 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. None of the three has announced an agreement with the states as a group. TikTok settled with Alabama alone on September 25, with a two-hour daily limit for teens where Meta's agreement uses one hour. Neither Alabama nor TikTok has said whether the Alabama terms count under Meta's agreement.
Can families get money from this settlement?
No. The money goes to state governments, and each state decides how to spend its share. Tennessee, for example, is putting its share into a new fund for children's mental health. There is no claim form and no fund set aside for individual families.
The family lawsuits are a separate track, and they are still going. After the settlement, lawyers for the families said thousands of young people and school districts still have claims pending against Meta, TikTok, Snap and YouTube.
Where the Family Lawsuits Stand
Families have filed in two places. Federal cases from across the country are grouped together in Oakland before Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, under the name MDL 3047. Cases filed in California state court are grouped together in Los Angeles before Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl. Reporting on the settlement counted more than 3,000 injury cases brought by individuals and families nationwide. The federal group alone listed 3,208 pending cases in September, counting every type of case together.
The first family case to reach a jury was in Los Angeles. In March 2026, a jury found Meta and Google's YouTube responsible for harming a young woman identified as K.G.M. It awarded $3 million for her harm, split 70 percent to Meta and 30 percent to YouTube, plus another $3 million to punish the two companies. Snap and TikTok had settled with her before trial. The judge refused to order a new trial, and the companies have appealed.
A second California case, brought by a Florida teenager identified as R.K.C., was set for trial in late July. He says he started using social media at about age 8 and became hooked. YouTube settled with him first, on June 23, on confidential terms, and Google said the matter had been resolved amicably. TikTok settled next, and Snap followed on July 20. He then dropped his claims against Meta days before jury selection, and Meta said it paid nothing.
The next California trial for a family's case is expected in October 2026. In federal court, the next trials are school district cases, expected in early 2027.
Wondering whether your family's situation fits these cases? That usually turns on the age when heavy use began, the diagnosis, and the records that document both. A free review can help you find out.
Check Whether You May QualifyWhere the School District Cases Stand
School districts are suing 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. About 1,300 districts have filed.
The first federal test case came from Breathitt County Schools in Kentucky. Snap, TikTok and YouTube settled with the district in May 2026, and Meta settled last, weeks before trial. The combined amount was reported at about $27 million. The next federal school district trials are expected in early 2027.
Other State Cases Against Meta
New Mexico sued Meta on its own, over the exploitation of children on its apps, and its case sits outside the August settlement. In March 2026, a jury there ordered Meta to pay $375 million. In August, the judge ordered Meta to put another $567 million into a fund for treatment, screening and prevention services. Our New Mexico verdict page covers that case in detail. On September 25, a second New Mexico jury found that Facebook deceived users about protecting their data, in the state's separate Cambridge Analytica privacy case. That verdict is about data privacy rather than youth harm, and our Meta lawsuit page covers it.
2026 Timeline
- March 24: A New Mexico jury orders Meta to pay $375 million in the state's child safety case.
- March 25: A Los Angeles jury awards $6 million to K.G.M. against Meta and YouTube.
- May: The Breathitt County school district case settles before trial, reported at about $27 million.
- June: The Los Angeles judge refuses a new trial in the K.G.M. case.
- June 23: YouTube settles the R.K.C. case on confidential terms.
- July 20: Tennessee's trial against Meta begins in Nashville.
- July 22: The R.K.C. case ends before trial.
- August 6: The New Mexico judge orders Meta to fund $567 million in youth services.
- August 18: The 29-state trial against Meta opens in Oakland.
- August 26: Meta settles with 51 attorneys general for up to $17.1 billion, and Tennessee's trial ends.
- September 25: A Santa Fe jury finds Facebook deceived New Mexico users about data protection in the state's privacy case, the third jury to rule against Meta this year.
- September 25: TikTok settles Alabama's case for at least $100 million, three days before trial.
- October: The next California family trial is expected.
- Early 2027: The next federal school district trials are expected.
What Are Social Media Addiction Lawsuits About?
These lawsuits say the platforms were built to keep young people scrolling. They point to features like endless scroll, autoplay, recommendation feeds and constant notifications. The argument is that those choices drove compulsive use and made mental health problems worse for some children and teenagers.
Who May Be Affected by These Lawsuits?
Most of these cases involve children and teenagers, brought by their families. Usually it is a parent who starts looking into it, after noticing a change in mood, sleep, behavior, school performance or general wellbeing. Some cases are brought by young adults whose problems began when they were minors.
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.
What Kinds of Harm Do Families Describe?
What families report varies from case to case. These are the harms most often described.
- Compulsive or excessive platform use
- Depression or anxiety
- Body image or self-esteem problems
- Eating disorders
- Sleep disruption
- Withdrawal from 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get money from Meta's $17 billion settlement?
No. The settlement pays state governments, and there is no claim form for families. A family that believes a child was harmed would pursue its own lawsuit, and the settlement leaves those lawsuits in place.
Did the settlement end the family lawsuits?
The family lawsuits continue. The settlement resolved the states' own claims against Meta. Injury cases brought by families, and cases brought by school districts, are still pending against Meta, TikTok, Snap and YouTube.
What changes are coming to Instagram and Facebook for teens?
Users under 18 get a two-hour daily limit across both apps, and only a parent can loosen it. The apps are blocked from midnight to 6 a.m., except messages and settings. Notifications are muted during school hours, and like counts are hidden by default. Most of these rules must be in place by late February 2027.
Has YouTube settled?
YouTube has settled individual cases but has no deal with the states. In May 2026 it settled with the Breathitt County school district, and in June it settled with R.K.C., a Florida teenager, weeks before his trial. Both settlements were confidential. Meta's state settlement invites YouTube to accept the same teen rules, and YouTube had announced no agreement as of this update. In the K.G.M. trial, the jury assigned YouTube 30 percent of the $3 million award for her harm. Separately, YouTube paid $30 million to settle a children's privacy class action that is unrelated to these cases.
When is the next trial?
The next California trial for a family's case is expected in October 2026. In federal court, the next school district trials are expected in early 2027.
What is MDL 3047?
It is the name for the group of federal social media addiction cases being 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.
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. They argue those features were built to keep young people on the apps as long as possible.
Learn More About Social Media Harm Claims
Continue exploring the broader litigation, recent verdicts, and the legal concepts that shape how these cases move forward.
Related Legal Guides
Meta Lawsuit
Every case involving Instagram and Facebook, from the family lawsuits to the state cases.
Social Media Addiction Lawsuit
Read the main overview of the litigation, including the claims, companies involved, and issues families are researching.
New Mexico Verdict Against Meta
How New Mexico won $375 million from Meta at trial, and the $567 million fund the judge added.
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.
