Teen Social Media Lawsuit

The social media MDL increased to 3,824 pending actions.

TikTok has reached a $100 million settlement, avoiding trial against state Attorneys General. 

There were 3,208 pending actions in the social media MDL.

Meta reached a large settlement with 47 states and U.S. territories. The company has agreed to pay up to $17.1 billion dollars in penalties and make serious changes to its products, aimed at lessening their impacts on children.

The social media MDL grew to 3,137 pending actions.

There were 2,893 pending actions in the social media MDL.

The social media MDL grew to 2,664 pending actions.

Eastern Kentucky’s Breathitt County School District has settled with all defendants ahead of its federal court trial scheduled for June 15. The case requested damages of over $60 million to offset the costs of increased mental health programs and staffing needs over the next decade and beyond. Meta, responsible for Facebook and Instagram, was the final defendant to settle as announced on May 21, 2026. Breathitt County's settlement details are undisclosed.

This was the first school district case scheduled to go to trial. Around 1,300 other school districts have filed similar claims.

There were 2,527 pending cases in the social media MDL.

The social media MDL increased slightly to 2,465 pending cases.

In the first social media lawsuit bellwether trial, a California jury found Meta and Google liable for the mental health issues of a woman who used social media compulsively when she was a child. Meta and Google were ordered to pay $3 million in compensatory damages and $3 million in punitive damages. The jury ruled that Meta’s apps were deliberately designed to be addictive and the company has failed to protect its young users.

A New Mexico jury found Meta liable for claims brought by the State of New Mexico under the Unfair Practices Act. They ordered Meta to pay $375 million in civil penalties. Meta was held liable for endangering children by misleading consumers about the safety of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.

There were 2,407 pending cases in the social media MDL.

U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers denied a defense motion for summary judgment on Feb. 9, 2026. This ruling orders that negligence and public nuisance claims brought by Eastern Kentucky’s Breathitt County School District should proceed against Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat. Breathitt County is the first of six school district bellwethers slated for trial in the Social Media Harm MDL. Opening statements are scheduled to begin June 15, 2026, with Motley Rice serving as trial counsel.

Plaintiffs continued to join the social media MDL, bringing the total number of pending cases to 2,243.

Plaintiffs continued to join the social media MDL, bringing the total number of pending cases to 2,243.

Attorneys general (AGs) representing 29 states in lawsuits against Meta have asked to hold a single trial rather than individual trials. They argue that Meta’s conduct and the body of evidence are essentially the same from state to state. There’s also precedent for consolidating state cases, with the plaintiffs’ attorneys citing a lawsuit against Dish Network. While the cases are part of the social media MDL, consolidated cases are usually heard individually. The AGs argue that one trial for all states would be more efficient. But attorneys for the defendant believe it’s not workable to ask a jury to apply each state’s legal frameworks in a single verdict.
 

Meta faces new lawsuits from the families of two teen boys who died by suicide. The families allege that the social media company’s failure to design proper protection for minors led to the boys being involved in “sextortion” scandals. One boy was from the U.S., while the other was from Scotland. They were 13 and 16 years old, respectively. 

 

Oral arguments began in a lawsuit the Massachusetts AG filed against Meta, alleging that the company created features on Facebook and Instagram to ensnare younger users on the platforms. This lawsuit is focused on features such as notifications and endless scrolling rather than the content algorithm.

More plaintiffs joined the MDL in November, bringing the number of pending cases to 2,191.

The attorney general for the state of Hawaii announced that the state would join lawsuits against TikTok owner ByteDance. The Hawaii AG’s lawsuit echoes points from other lawsuits, such as targeting children because of their less-developed abilities to self-regulate their screen time.  
 

U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter H. Kang ruled against Meta’s attempt to bar a former employee from sharing information. Meta’s attorneys argued that former company researcher Jason Sattizahn is disgruntled and will disclose privileged information. Judge Kang decided to follow a procedure set earlier in a New Mexico court, which will ultimately allow Sattizahn to testify. 

 

Attorneys representing U.S. school districts in the social media mental health MDL provided unredacted documents that appear to show Meta shut down research about the effects of stepping away from social media use. The company's documents showed that researchers found a causal link between deactivating Facebook and reducing feelings of anxiety, depression, loneliness and social comparison. The company didn’t publish these findings; school districts obtained them during the discovery process. 

Plaintiffs in the social media MDL produced testimony that Meta was lax on violations of the platform’s policies managing sexual solicitation and prostitution, according to a court brief. Vaishnavi Jayakumar, Instagram’s former head of safety and well-being, expressed her surprise at the company’s “17x” strike policy. Plaintiffs’ attorneys also allege in the brief that Meta knew of the problems and failed to disclose the potential harms to Congress or the general public.  
 

According to the latest report from the Judicial Panel for Multidistrict Litigation (JPML), there are now 2,172 actions in the adolescent social media mental health MDL.

Plaintiffs’ attorneys in the social media mental health MDL asked Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers to sanction Meta for allegedly engaging in "crime, fraud, and/or misconduct." A Washington D.C. court ruled that Meta attorneys ordered researchers to change their findings to shield the company from potential liability. Judge Gonzalez Rogers believes a different court should decide whether to sanction the company. 

Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers changed venues in a bellwether trial, swapping a courtroom in Eureka, California, for a larger courtroom in Oakland.

Judge Yvonne Williams ruled that Meta’s legal team attempted to shield the company from liability for harming teen users’ mental health. Attorneys representing the social media platform ordered researchers to change their conclusions, which is discussed in documents provided as part of the discovery process. The attorneys had attempted to “claw back” the documents, but the judge’s ruling allowed plaintiffs’ attorneys continued access to the information. The defendant’s attorneys and a spokesperson argued that the information was protected by attorney-client privilege, despite having produced it during discovery. 

Judge Peter Kang ordered TikTok to share documents about an influencer with anorexia. Plaintiffs’ lawyers allege that TikTok promoted Eugenia Cooney, who fainted during a livestream and soon thereafter was seen at the company’s New York City headquarters. Cooney’s content centers around fashion and makeup but her appearance and health issues have generated attention and concern, which, in turn, drives engagement metrics. In 2019, during a YouTube video documentary titled “The Return of Euginia Cooney,” she admitted that she had an eating disorder. In September 2025, counsel for plaintiffs accused TikTok of refusing to provide information about the company’s connection with Cooney. TikTok’s attorneys argued that the request for documentation came after discovery ended. 

Attorneys for the city of New York withdrew from a mass lawsuit in California state court before filing a similar lawsuit in federal court. The city’s complaint alleges that features of popular social media apps led to teen mental health issues, which further resulted in violations of local negligence and public nuisance laws. The lawsuit also accuses social media companies of failing to adequately warn the public of potential mental health risks. Attorneys for New York City say the defendants’ actions have depleted municipal resources for helping victims manage their mental health issues.

With the addition of more plaintiffs, the social media addiction MDL has risen to 2,053 pending actions.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl ruled against social media companies’ efforts to prevent expert testimony. Attorneys for social media companies argued that allowing the experts to testify would violate Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. Judge Kuhl ruled that testimony that focuses on app features rather than third-party content would be admissible. She also dismissed defendants’ argument that the testimony should be barred according to the Sargon standard, which requires that expert testimony have a scientific basis.

The Oklahoma-based Choctaw and Chickasaw nations joined the federal social media mental health MDL. The tribe’s attorneys claim the two nations’ underfunded welfare and health programs can’t handle the added burden of social media-related mental health issues affecting its children. Facebook owner Meta Platforms, Inc., is among the social media companies named as defendants in the MDL.  
Judge rules against defendants’ move to remove bellwether plaintiff

Judge Kuhl rejected defendants’ request to remove the third bellwether plaintiff in the social media mental health lawsuit currently in Los Angeles Superior Court. Defendants’ attorneys attempted to have Jaime Loach removed, claiming that her lawsuit was outside the statute of limitations. They also argued that Loach should’ve realized from news coverage in The Washington Post and Vice that excessive social media use could lead to mental health problems. Kuhl decided that a jury should decide on whether media coverage was sufficient. She also ruled that Loach’s suspicion of the defendants’ wrongdoing was within the statute of limitations.  The plaintiff in this case is not represented by Motley Rice. 
 

As of September 2, 2025, there were 1,961 pending actions in the Social Media Addiction MDL.

The Adolescent Social Media Addiction MDL grew to 1,922 pending actions.

Starting in the summer of 2026, Minnesotans might see pop-up warnings alerting consumers about the dangers of social media. A state bill will require people to acknowledge the warning before they can access content on social media apps. Social media companies are objecting to the warning labels. Some Republicans in the Minnesota legislature added that the pop-ups could inhibit free speech. 
 

There were 1,867 pending actions in the Adolescent Social Media Addiction MDL.

A coalition of 16 states sued the current federal government for discontinuing congressionally awarded grants intended to fund school mental health programs. The federal funds aimed to add 14,000 permanent mental health professionals at U.S. schools. California alone will lose $200 million in funding. Experts often cite schools as a front line for mental health treatment. Schools are also facing the consequences of declining student mental health as a result of social media addiction. 
 

Utah’s Attorney General’s office and the Utah Department of Commerce filed a lawsuit against Snap Inc. The lawsuit claims Snapchat has harmful features and deceives users when claiming to protect them. The lawsuit also claims Snap Inc. violated the Utah Consumer Privacy Act by not explaining their data collection practices and not allowing users to opt out of sharing certain data.

A judge ruled that a wrongful death lawsuit involving the subway surfing death of a teen can proceed. The suit says social media apps’ algorithms present content that minors aren’t looking for. The suit claims the content can lead to risky behavior that may result in death, as in the case of Zackery Nazario. Social media companies attempted to have the suit dismissed. 
 

A teenage boy died from attempting the viral social media trend of subway surfing in 2023. His mother filed a lawsuit against ByteDance and Meta, alleging they caused his death. In January 2025, the social media companies fought to dismiss the case, which the judge has now denied. The wrongful death case will move forward, seeking to hold the social media companies accountable. Motley Rice is not representing this family. 
 

A study published in JAMA Network showed an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in teens who are addicted to social media, mobile phones and video games. Researchers studied 4,000 kids starting at 9 or 10 years old for four years. During that time, a third of participants became addicted to social media, with 18% saying they experienced suicidal thoughts and 5% saying they participated in suicidal behaviors. , 
 

The social media addiction MDL judge chose eleven cases to serve as the first bellwether trials. Five cases were selected for individual trials and six were chosen for school district trials. Motley Rice attorneys are representing some of the chosen plaintiffs. 

As of June 2, 2025, the Adolescent Social Media Addiction MDL increased to 1,814 pending actions.

The Adolescent Social Media Addiction MDL had 1,787 pending actions.

So far, there have been case management conferences each month of 2025. However, no case management conferences are set for May. The next conference is set for June 13, 2025.

There were 1,745 pending actions in the Adolescent Social Media Addiction MDL.

The Corpus Christi Independent School District voted to become the most recent in a string of Texas school districts to join the social media harm lawsuit. Forty-six districts in the state have now approved participating in the MDL, pending approval from the Texas attorney general. Corpus Christi follows on the heels of the Abilene Independent School District, which voted to join the suit earlier in the month, citing the need for extra time, personnel and money to address the mental health crisis caused by social media addiction.
 

Over Meta’s objections, Magistrate Judge Peter H. Kang ruled that a former executive and author of the tell-all memoir “Careless People” will be allowed to testify in the MDL regarding social media’s addictive designs.
 

There were 1,464 pending actions in MDL No. 3047.

MDL Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that wrongful death claims brought under Florida, Indiana, Virginia and Wyoming laws could proceed. The judge also ruled that Section 230 and the First Amendment do not bar individual plaintiffs or school districts from bringing negligence claims against social media companies. 
 

The Houston Independent School District’s (HISD) state-appointed board voted unanimously to join the nationwide social media harm lawsuit. The HISD is one of hundreds of school districts suing over adolescent mental health problems allegedly caused by social media.

The court held a case management conference. The MDL judge indicated she will not allow Google and Snap to file interlocutory appeals regarding their platforms’ addictive designs, saying the companies’ claims made “no sense.”

Interlocutory appeals attempt to appeal non-final court decisions. They can cause proceedings to pause while another court reviews the case. The next case management conference is scheduled for March 21, 2025.

San Antonio’s Northside Independent School District (NISD) board members voted unanimously to join the Adolescent Social Media Addiction MDL. NISD is one of hundreds of school districts suing over adolescent mental health problems allegedly caused by social media.

San Diego County filed an adolescent social media lawsuit against Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube. Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego reported a 500% increase in behavioral health emergency room visits over the last decade. The hospital also reported that suicide is the second-leading cause of death among young adults.
 

The Senate Commerce Committee advanced legislation to the full Senate that bans children 13 and younger from social media. The hope is that limiting access for this age group will address youth anxiety and depression linked to social media use. The bill also proposed federal funding to help schools restrict social media on devices and networks.
 

More cases continue to be added to the Adolescent Social Media Addiction MDL, bringing the February 2025 total actions pending to 1,246.

Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl ruled that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act does not protect social media companies from liability for content published on their platforms. The decision means the companies behind Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat and TikTok cannot cut failure-to-warn claims from the consolidated actions pending in California Superior Court. These lawsuits can move forward.

February 2025: Over 270 cases were added to the MDL action bringing the total number of pending actions to 1,246.
January 2025: More cases continue to be added to The Adolescent Social Media Addiction MDL which brings the total number of cases to 974.
December 2024: With nearly 200 additional cases, the social media harm MDL has grown to 815 cases at the start of the month.
November 2024: More people suffering from social media related mental health issues filed cases, bringing the total number of actions in the MDL to 620 at the start of November.
October 2024: 594 actions were pending in MDL No. 3047.
September 2024: 584 actions were pending in MDL No. 3047.
August 2024: 557 actions were pending in MDL No. 3047.
July 2024: 499 actions were pending in MDL No. 3047.
June 2024: 475 actions were pending in MDL No. 3047. 
May 2024: 455 actions were pending in MDL No. 3047.

The MDL court largely rejected Meta’s attempt to dismiss public nuisance claims brought by multiple public school districts. The judge dismissed claims from Illinois, New Jersey, Rhode Island and South Carolina based on their state laws. The judge allowed claims from 15 other states to move forward.
 

Modifications to the pretrial schedule pushed the start of bellwether trials into 2026. Previously, bellwethers were set to begin in late 2025. According to the new schedule, the court will not set trial dates for bellwethers until after November 2025. 

On October 24, 2024, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Meta (Facebook and Instagram), Alphabet (YouTube), Snap (Snapchat), and ByteDance (TikTok) must face lawsuits filed by state attorneys general. Her ruling dismissed some aspects of the states’ lawsuits concerning Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. However, the lawsuits are still able to proceed.

The deadline for defendants to take the depositions of school district plaintiffs’ fact witnesses was extended to May 15, 2025. The extension was made with the understanding that parties will make their best efforts to conduct these depositions before May 5, 2025. 

On October 15, 2024, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled social media lawsuits filed by multiple school districts may proceed. These lawsuits were filed by school districts spanning 19 different states. 

Judge Rogers excluded some claims against the tech companies based on Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. 

On October 3, 2024, Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton, filed a lawsuit against the social media company TikTok. The lawsuit alleges that the platform isn’t doing enough to protect children. Additionally, the lawsuit claims that the company has violated the Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment Act (SCOPE). 

Under TikTok’s current model, parents can use the “family pairing” system to oversee their children’s accounts. 

However, the lawsuit alleges that the system doesn’t provide enough secure ways for parents to verify their identities. The system also requires minors to approve the family pairing system on their account. TikTok plans to fight these allegations.

In October 2024, 13 states filed lawsuits against TikTok, claiming the app negatively impacts children’s mental health. They argue that the platform creates an environment that fosters social media addiction by exposing children to short-form videos at a rapid pace.

On September 20, 2024, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law preventing social media platforms from showing addictive content to children without parental consent. The law aims to restrict the types of content social media algorithms can show children. The law is set to take effect in 2027. It should not negatively impact social media harm lawsuits.

On September 9, 2024, Judge Neal Kravitz denied Meta’s motion to dismiss an ongoing lawsuit in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia. Meta filed a motion to dismiss the cases, claiming protection under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. In his decision, Judge Kravitz explained, “Section 230 provides no refuge to Meta because none of the omissions-based deceptive trade practice claims seek to treat Meta as a publisher of any particular third-party content.” Meta has until September 23, 2024, to file an answer to the complaint.

On September 9, 2024, the attorneys general of 42 states and U.S. territories sent a letter to Congress urging lawmakers to pass legislation for the protection of American youth. The letter called for legislation requiring an official warning for all social media platforms. This proposed warning was originally devised by the U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy.

As of August, the scope of cases against social media platforms has changed. The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals determined TikTok must face a lawsuit after a child died from participating in a challenge recommended by the platform’s algorithm.

Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that four public school districts cannot proceed with their claims against Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube and TikTok. 

The California state judge found that the districts could not prove a direct link between the social media apps and the alleged mental health crisis among their students.

U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers partially rejected the Defendants’ motion to dismiss. The Defendants sought immunity under the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment and Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act. Claims about harmful platform features, like filtered images without transparent warnings, remain a part of the lawsuit and will be treated as product defects. Other design defects that remain in the case include failure to offer usage limits, an adequate age verification process, effective parental controls and disruptive notifications. 

The attorneys general of 41 states filed lawsuits against Meta and Instagram for their contributions to the mental health crisis in the United States. 

A Conditional Transfer Order added more cases to the MDL. As of July 2023, the total number of cases was over 100. 

The plaintiffs submitted an amended master complaint. 

A Direct Filing Order for the master complaint and short form complaint were agreed on. This order allows the plaintiffs to skip filing in their home jurisdiction, and instead file directly in the MDL court to avoid delays.
Master complaint: February 14, 2023, marked the deadline for the plaintiffs to file their master complaint. The goal of the master complaint is to identify the strongest claims for the first phase of motions to dismiss. 
Short form complaint: February 28, 2023, was the deadline for the proposed short form complaint. A short form complaint is a simplified version of the master complaint that outlines the essential allegations and claims in the case. 

A second case management conference occurred in December 2022. As a result of the conference, the plaintiffs and defendants agreed on a timeline for filing documents in the case. 

The Court held its inaugural case management conference. Following the conference, Motley Rice media and tech attorney Previn Warren was appointed by the Court as co-lead counsel. 

The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) entered a Transfer Order to consolidate a growing number of social media harm lawsuits. In re: Social Media Adolescent Addiction/Personal Injury Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 3047 was assigned to the Northern District of California.