Social Media Addiction Lawsuit Update
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If your child could not put down Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat or YouTube, and their mental health paid for it, this page is for you. Families, school districts and states have all sued these companies. Most states have settled with Meta, and that money goes to state governments. The family lawsuits are still going. This page shows where each group’s cases stand and what happened most recently.
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.
- On November 2, 2026, Snap settled with both plaintiffs in the second California family trial, during jury selection. All four companies have now settled with both families, so no jury will hear those two cases.
- Thousands of family lawsuits are still pending against Meta, TikTok, Snap and YouTube, in federal court and in California state court. Families have no claim form to fill out.
- The next trial on the calendar is a federal school district case brought by Tucson Unified, set for February 8, 2027.
- Meta settled with state governments in August 2026 for up to $17.1 billion, and TikTok settled Alabama’s case for at least $100 million. That money goes to the states.
- Meta’s settlement sets limits for users under 18, including a two-hour daily cap across Instagram and Facebook.
- West Virginia sued TikTok on October 29 and Snap on November 5. Florida’s own case against Meta is moving forward after an appeals court ruling on November 4.
- YouTube has settled individual cases but has announced no deal with the states.
Looking for the main overview? Read our Social Media Addiction Lawsuit guide. For everything involving Meta in one place, see the Meta Lawsuit page.
Important notice
This page provides general educational information and does not constitute legal advice.
Where the Social Media Cases Stand Now
Three groups have sued Meta, TikTok, Snap and YouTube: families, school districts and states. Each group’s cases run on their own track. Most of the states have settled with Meta. Families and school districts still have their own cases pending.
Family lawsuits
Families have filed in two places. Federal cases from across the country are grouped in Oakland before Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, under the name MDL 3047. Cases filed in California state court are grouped in Los Angeles before Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl. The federal group listed 4,309 pending cases in November, up 485 from October.
Two California family cases have gone to trial. In March 2026, a Los Angeles jury awarded $6 million to a young woman identified as K.G.M. against Meta and YouTube. The judge refused a new trial, and the companies have appealed. The second trial began with jury selection on October 28. It ended on November 2, when Snap became the last of the four companies to settle with both plaintiffs.
We have not seen a date set for the next California family trial. Thousands of families still have claims pending against all four companies.
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 QualifySchool districts
About 1,300 school districts have filed. They ask the platforms to pay costs they blame on social media, from extra counselors to phone lockers. Some cities and counties have sued too.
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, on May 21. The combined amount was reported at about $27 million. The next federal school district trial, brought by Tucson Unified in Arizona, is set for February 8, 2027.
On November 9, 2026, Judge Gonzalez Rogers met with both sides in two test cases. One is Tucson Unified’s, and the other was brought by the Charleston County School District in South Carolina. She canceled the hearings set for November 13 in both cases. She ordered the districts and the companies to talk about settling, or else prepare for trial. She will decide the open requests in both cases from the written filings, and a written order is to follow.
Four districts also sued in California state court: San Diego, Vancouver in Washington, Brevard County in Florida and West Warwick in Rhode Island. Judge Kuhl dismissed their negligence and public nuisance claims. On November 5, 2026, a California appeals court upheld her ruling.
The appeals court said state law does not let the districts recover their added costs as negligence damages. It held that Section 230, a federal law, blocks claims over user videos that urged students to damage school property. The federal school district cases, including Tucson Unified’s, run on their own track.
State cases
In August 2026, Meta settled with 51 attorneys general for up to $17.1 billion. On September 25, TikTok settled Alabama’s case for at least $100 million, three days before trial. Our TikTok Lawsuit page covers the Alabama deal. All of this money goes to state governments. Families get nothing from it directly, and there is no claim form.
West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey has since sued TikTok, on October 29, and Snap, on November 5, both in Kanawha County. The TikTok suit says its feed, endless scrolling and alerts drive children to heavy use. It also says TikTok overstated how well its parental controls work.
The Snap suit says Snap promoted Snapchat as safe while predators used it to groom and blackmail children. It says Streaks, Snapscores and endless feeds are built to keep children on the app. It also targets My AI, the chatbot built into Snapchat. The state says the chatbot could see a child’s location with location sharing turned off. Snap had not commented as of this update.
Florida stayed out of the August settlement and is suing Meta on its own in Pasco County. The state says endless scrolling, autoplay and Reels keep children on Instagram and Facebook. On November 4, 2026, Florida’s Second District Court of Appeal turned down Meta’s request to end the case on free speech grounds. The case goes back to the trial court.
New Mexico also sued Meta on its own, over the exploitation of children on its apps. A jury there ordered Meta to pay $375 million in March 2026. In August, the judge ordered Meta to put another $567 million into a fund for youth services. Our New Mexico verdict page covers that case.
A separate New Mexico case is about data privacy rather than youth harm. On October 21, Judge Francis Mathew ordered Meta to pay $25 billion in penalties in that case, and Meta says it will appeal. Our Meta lawsuit page covers it.
What has happened recently
- , Judge Gonzalez Rogers canceled the November 13 hearings in two school district test cases and told both sides to work on a settlement or prepare for trial. The cases were brought by Tucson Unified in Arizona and Charleston County schools in South Carolina. More on the school cases.
- , A California appeals court ended four school districts’ state court cases against Meta, Snap, TikTok and YouTube. The federal school district cases continue. More on the school cases.
- , West Virginia sued Snap over Snapchat’s effect on children. The suit also targets My AI, the chatbot built into Snapchat. More on the state cases.
- , A Florida appeals court let the state’s case against Meta go forward. The court turned down Meta’s request to end the case on free speech grounds. More on the Florida case.
- , the federal count reached 4,309. The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation reported 485 more pending cases in MDL 3047 than in October.
- , Snap settled with both plaintiffs, ending the second California family trial. The deal came during jury selection, and the terms were not disclosed. More on the family cases.
- , Meta settled with K.D.B., the last plaintiff it faced in the second California family trial. That left Snap as the only company at trial.
- , West Virginia sued TikTok over its effect on children. More on the state cases.
- , jury selection began in the second California family trial. Meta had settled with one plaintiff, S.J., before trial.
- , a New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay $25 billion in penalties in the state’s data privacy case. Meta says it will appeal.
- , the federal count reached 3,824. The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation reported 616 more pending cases in MDL 3047 than in September, the group’s largest one-month rise.
- , Judge Kuhl ordered Mark Zuckerberg and Adam Mosseri to testify in the second family trial. The trial ended in settlements before either testified.
- , YouTube settled with the two families in the second California trial. The terms are confidential.
- , TikTok settled Alabama’s case for at least $100 million. The deal came three days before the first state trial against TikTok was to begin. More on the state cases.
- , a Santa Fe jury found that Facebook deceived New Mexico users about protecting their data. The verdict came in the state’s Cambridge Analytica privacy case.
- , Meta settled with 51 attorneys general for up to $17.1 billion. The deal came eight days into the 29-state trial in Oakland. What the settlement changes.
- , a federal appeals court cleared the way for trials. The Ninth Circuit held that Section 230 is a defense the companies raise at trial. More on the ruling.
- , a New Mexico judge ordered Meta to put $567 million into a fund for youth services. The order added to the state’s $375 million jury verdict.
- , the Senate Commerce Committee voted to send the Kids Online Safety Act, S. 1748, to the full Senate. The committee’s version keeps a duty of care, a rule that platforms put children’s safety first in their design. More in Congress.
- , the R.K.C. case ended before trial. YouTube, TikTok and Snap had settled with the Florida teenager, and he dropped his claims against Meta.
- , the House passed the KIDS Act, H.R. 7757, by 267 to 117. Its version of the Kids Online Safety Act leaves out the Senate bill’s duty of care. More in Congress.
- , Meta settled with Breathitt County Schools, the first federal school district test case. Snap, TikTok and YouTube had settled earlier in May. More on the school cases.
- , a Los Angeles jury awarded $6 million to K.G.M. against Meta and YouTube. It was the first family case to reach a jury, and the companies have appealed. More on the family cases.
- , a New Mexico jury ordered Meta to pay $375 million in the state’s child safety case. More on the state cases.
What Meta’s State Settlement Changes for Teens
Meta settled eight days into a trial in federal court in Oakland. There, 29 states led by California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey argued that Meta designed Instagram and Facebook to hook children. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers approved the agreement on August 26, the day it was filed. Tennessee’s own trial against Meta in Nashville ended the same day. Meta denies that its apps harm young users.
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. Each of those companies earning more than $10 billion a year would also have to pay the states.
Each state decides how to spend its share. Tennessee, for example, is putting its share into a new fund for children’s mental health.
The new rules for teens on Instagram and Facebook
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. If all three adopt the same kind of teen limits, Meta's teen limit drops to one hour per app. Its overnight block would then widen 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. Its Alabama terms set 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.
Why These Cases Can Go to Trial
The platforms have long argued that a federal law called Section 230 protects them from being sued over what users post. On August 10, 2026, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals turned away their attempt to settle that question before any trial.
The court said the law gives the companies a defense they raise at trial. In practical terms, these cases get tried first, and the companies can argue the law afterward on appeal. Facing trial first is part of why so many of these cases settled this year.
What to Watch Next
- February 8, 2027: the first federal school district trial, brought by Tucson Unified in Arizona.
- The school district test cases: the judge’s written order after the November 9 conference, and whether Tucson Unified or Charleston County settles before trial.
- Late December 2026: Meta’s usage pauses and reminders for teens are due. Most of its other teen rules are due by late February 2027.
- The K.G.M. appeal: Meta and YouTube are appealing the $6 million verdict.
- The next California family trial: we have not seen a date set.
- Snap, TikTok and YouTube: whether any of them signs on to the teen limits in Meta’s state settlement.
- State cases: Florida’s case against Meta, back in the Pasco County trial court, and West Virginia’s cases against TikTok and Snap.
New to These Cases?
This page follows what is changing. Our social media addiction lawsuit guide explains what the cases claim, who brings them and which companies are named. It also covers the harms families describe and the records that tend to matter.
In Congress
Congress has two bills on children’s online safety that reach the companies in these cases.
The KIDS Act, H.R. 7757, is the House package. It sets rules for platforms, AI chatbots and companies that sell children’s data. The House passed it 267 to 117 on June 29, 2026. Its Kids Online Safety Act section leaves out a duty of care, a rule that platforms put children’s safety first in their design. The Senate sent the package to its Commerce Committee on July 13, 2026.
The Senate’s Kids Online Safety Act, S. 1748, keeps that duty of care. The Senate Commerce Committee voted on August 5, 2026 to send it to the full Senate, where it now waits for a floor vote.
Both bills set rules for how platforms design their services from here on. The family and school district lawsuits on this page are about harm that already happened, and they run on their own track. Either bill becomes law only if both chambers pass the same text and the President signs it.
In the States
California has passed a law on warning labels for social media.
Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 56 on October 13, 2025. It takes effect on January 1, 2027. Platforms must show users under 18 a mental health warning. The warning appears when a young user first opens the app each day. It appears again after three hours of use, and every hour after that. Minnesota passed a warning label law before California did.
The California law sets rules for platforms from 2027 on. The lawsuits on this page are about harm that already happened, and they run on their own track. Our state laws page tracks the law.
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 are still pending against Meta, TikTok, Snap and YouTube, and so are the federal cases brought by school districts.
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 with R.K.C., a Florida teenager. On September 25 it settled with the two families in the trial that began October 28. All of those 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.
When is the next trial?
The second California family trial ended on November 2, 2026, when Snap settled with both plaintiffs during jury selection. We have not seen a date set for the next California family trial. In federal court, the first school district trial is set for February 8, 2027, in a case brought by Tucson Unified.
Find Out If You May Have a Case
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. The review looks at the diagnosis, the age when heavy use began, and the records. Whether that history supports a claim depends on those facts.
Free and no obligation. Submitting a request does not create an attorney-client relationship.
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.
