What the Lawsuits Allege
Thousands of lawsuits have been filed against Meta (the parent company of Facebook and Instagram), Snap (the maker of Snapchat), TikTok and its parent ByteDance, and Google (the owner of YouTube). The cases have been brought by young people and their families, public school districts, state attorneys general, and tribal governments.[7]
Plaintiffs allege that these companies designed and deployed features on their platforms that drive compulsive use by children and teenagers. The alleged design features include infinite scrolling, algorithm-driven recommendations, notifications, and other engagement tools that were designed to encourage prolonged use. Plaintiffs further allege that the companies misled users, families, and the public about the existence and severity of the risks associated with these features.[8]
These are allegations. No court has ruled on the merits in the vast majority of pending cases, and the companies have not admitted wrongdoing.
The Federal and State Proceedings
In October 2022, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation centralized the federal personal injury actions as In re: Social Media Adolescent Addiction/Personal Injury Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 3047, in the Northern District of California before Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers.[1]
As of August 3, 2026, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation reported 3,137 pending actions in MDL No. 3047. That figure is federal only and does not include the California state court coordinated proceeding.[7]
A separate coordinated proceeding, JCCP 5255, is pending in California state court in Los Angeles Superior Court.[3][5]
The Public Health Context
The U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory in May 2023 titled Social Media and Youth Mental Health. The advisory reports that up to 95% of youth ages 13 to 17 use a social media platform. It cites a longitudinal study of U.S. adolescents ages 12 to 15 finding that those who spent more than 3 hours per day on social media faced double the risk of poor mental health outcomes, including symptoms of depression and anxiety. The advisory notes that as of 2021, 8th and 10th graders averaged 3.5 hours per day on social media.[2]
The advisory says social media has both positive and negative effects on young people, that critical questions remain unanswered and there are known evidence gaps, and that it cannot be concluded that social media is sufficiently safe for children and adolescents. An advisory is a public health statement. It is not a court finding about any company.[2]
Verdicts and Settlements to Date
The K.G.M. Verdict
On March 25, 2026, a Los Angeles Superior Court jury returned the first verdict in this litigation. In K.G.M. v. Meta and YouTube, a bellwether case from the California coordinated proceeding JCCP 5255, the jury found Meta and Google's YouTube negligent and liable for harm to the plaintiff, a 20-year-old woman identified as KGM. The jury awarded $6 million in total damages after deliberating for more than a week.[5]
The award consisted of $3 million in compensatory damages, split 70% to Meta and 30% to YouTube, plus $3 million in punitive damages, of which Meta was ordered to pay $2.1 million and YouTube $900,000. The total award was $4.2 million for Meta and $1.8 million for YouTube. Nine of 12 jurors voted for punitive damages, the minimum required.[6]
Meta said it disagreed with the verdict and was evaluating its legal options. YouTube said it disagreed and planned to appeal. The verdict applies to this one plaintiff.[5]
Before the K.G.M. trial reached the jury, Snap settled with plaintiff K.G.M. shortly before trial in January 2026. The amount was not disclosed and Snap did not admit liability.[3] TikTok settled with the same plaintiff on the day jury selection was scheduled to begin, with terms confirmed in open court by the plaintiff's attorneys. Terms were not publicly disclosed.[4]
The Federal School District Settlement
In May 2026, the first federal bellwether case, brought by Breathitt County, Kentucky, a school district, settled before trial with Snap, TikTok, YouTube, and Meta, so no federal jury was seated. Terms were not disclosed; Reuters reported a combined value near $27 million. This was a school district settlement, not a payment to families.[3]
The State Attorneys General Settlement with Meta
On August 18, 2026, trial began in the state attorneys general case against Meta in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California before Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers.[8]
Eight days later, on August 26, 2026, a bipartisan coalition of 51 attorneys general announced a proposed settlement with Meta, subject to court approval through entry of a consent judgment. The settlement provides for a monetary payment of up to $17 billion to the states over ten years. The payment goes to the states. The announcement describes no fund, claim form, or claims process for individual families.[8]
The settlement also includes injunctive terms. Meta agreed to implement default daily time limits, a block on overnight use that only a parent can lift, enhanced parental supervision tools, age assurance measures to detect users under 18 and children under 13, and an independent auditor.[8]
A settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing. The states' settlement with Meta does not end the broader litigation. Thousands of claims brought by young people, families, and public school districts remain pending in MDL No. 3047 against Meta, TikTok, Snap, and YouTube.[9]
Defenses Raised by the Companies
The record we track does not yet list specific legal defenses raised by the companies in court filings. Meta and YouTube have stated publicly that they disagree with the K.G.M. verdict.[5]
What Is Not Known Yet
The record does not show whether the court has entered the consent judgment approving the states' settlement with Meta. One outlet reported approval the same afternoon the settlement was announced; another reported it had not yet been entered. This has not been verified from the docket.[11]
The post-trial status of the K.G.M. verdict has been reported but not verified from the court record. One tracker reports the verdict was allowed to stand and that Meta is appealing.[10]
Future trial dates have been reported but not verified. The next personal injury bellwether trials in JCCP 5255 before Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl are reported as set for October 2026.[10] The next federal school district bellwether trials, involving Tucson Unified and Charleston County, are reported as set for February 2027.[12] Trial dates move often.
The record does not show what defenses the companies have raised in their court filings, what discovery has been exchanged, what internal documents have been produced, or what expert testimony has been offered.
Current Status
Bellwether trials are under way in both the federal MDL and the California state coordinated proceeding. One jury verdict has been returned, and several bellwether cases have settled. The states' settlement with Meta has been announced but its approval status is not confirmed. For the full chronology and current status, see our page on timeline and current status.
Sources
- MDL No. 3047 (2022-10-01). Secondary report: verusllc.com
- U.S. Surgeon General Advisory (2023) (2023-05-23). Primary document: hhs.gov
- JCCP 5255, K.G.M. v. Meta (2026-01-22). Secondary report: mdlupdate.com
- JCCP 5255, K.G.M. v. Meta (2026-01-27). Secondary report: spencer-law.com
- JCCP 5255, K.G.M. v. Meta (2026-03-25). Secondary report: npr.org
- JCCP 5255, K.G.M. v. Meta (2026-03-25). Secondary report: foxnews.com
- MDL No. 3047 (2026-08-03). Secondary report: migliorelaw.com
- Case 4:23-cv-05448-YGR (MDL No. 3047) (2026-08-18). Primary document: oag.ca.gov
- MDL No. 3047 (2026-08-26). Secondary report: levinlaw.com
- JCCP 5255, K.G.M. v. Meta (2026-03-26). Secondary report: mdlupdate.com
- Case 4:23-cv-05448-YGR (2026-08-26). Secondary report: cnbc.com
- MDL No. 3047 (2027-02-01). Secondary report: openclassactions.com
Litigation facts on this page come from the TortIntel litigation record and the documents linked above. Last checked against that record on 2026-09-20. If you see an error, tell us and we will correct it.