Updated February 2026Active Litigation

Social Media Addiction Lawsuit Tracker

Check Your Eligibility
Active LitigationLast updated: February 19, 2026

Social media addiction among children and adolescents has reached crisis proportions in the United States, with the U.S. Surgeon General issuing two consecutive advisories identifying social media as a driving force behind the youth mental health epidemic. An estimated 95% of teens ages 13-17 use social media, with more than a third reporting they use it "almost constantly." The platforms at the center of this litigation — Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, and Facebook — are precision-engineered behavioral systems that exploit developing brains through algorithmic content amplification, infinite scroll, autoplay, streaks, beauty filters, and notification systems designed to maximize engagement at any cost. Research shows that teens spending 3+ hours per day on social media face double the risk of anxiety and depression. MDL 3047 has consolidated over 1,600 cases, and the K.G.M. bellwether trial began in February 2026.

Case Timeline

Litigation Timeline

February 2026

K.G.M. Bellwether Trial Begins

The first social media addiction bellwether trial — K.G.M. v. Meta/YouTube — begins February 10, 2026 in LA County Superior Court. TikTok and Snap Inc. settled their portions of the case confidentially in January 2026. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies February 18-19, 2026. The trial will establish precedent for the remaining 1,600+ cases consolidated in MDL 3047 and is expected to set the framework for settlement negotiations.

verdict
August 2024

DOJ Sues TikTok for COPPA Violations

The U.S. Department of Justice files a lawsuit against TikTok and parent company ByteDance for violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. The DOJ alleges TikTok knowingly permitted children under 13 to create accounts, collected their personal information without parental consent, and failed to honor parental requests to delete children's data. The suit follows TikTok's $92 million class action settlement for privacy violations in 2021.

filing
October 2023

42-State AG Coalition Sues Meta

A bipartisan coalition of 42 state attorneys general files a coordinated lawsuit against Meta, alleging the company designed Instagram and Facebook to addict children using harmful features including algorithmic amplification, like counts, beauty filters, and infinite scroll. The suit also alleges Meta violated COPPA by knowingly allowing children under 13 to use its platforms and collecting their personal data.

filing
May 2023

Surgeon General Issues Social Media Advisory

U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issues an advisory on social media and youth mental health, identifying social media as a primary driver of the youth mental health epidemic. The advisory cites extensive evidence linking social media to anxiety, depression, body dissatisfaction, and poor sleep in adolescents. It calls for platform redesign, stronger age verification, and regulatory action to protect children.

regulatory
December 2022

Epic Games $520M FTC Settlement

Epic Games agrees to pay $520 million to settle FTC allegations of COPPA violations and dark patterns in Fortnite. While focused on gaming, the settlement establishes federal precedent for enforcement against technology companies that target children with addictive design and deceptive practices — precedent directly applicable to social media platforms.

settlement
October 2022

MDL 3047 Created

The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation creates MDL 3047 — In re: Social Media Adolescent Addiction/Personal Injury Products Liability Litigation — and assigns the consolidated cases to Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in the Northern District of California. The MDL consolidates hundreds of individual and institutional claims against Meta, TikTok, Snap, Google/YouTube, and other platform companies.

filing
October 2021

Frances Haugen Testifies Before Congress

Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen testifies before the U.S. Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, disclosing internal Meta research showing the company knew its products harmed children. Her appearance on 60 Minutes and subsequent congressional testimony catalyze bipartisan legislative action and provide critical evidence for the litigation. Haugen describes Meta's choices as "a betrayal of every parent who has trusted the company with their children."

regulatory
September 2021

WSJ Publishes "The Facebook Files"

The Wall Street Journal publishes "The Facebook Files," a series of investigative reports based on internal Meta documents provided by whistleblower Frances Haugen. The series reveals that Meta knew Instagram was harmful to teen mental health, that the company's algorithm amplified divisive and harmful content, and that Meta had over 1 million reports of users under 13 on Instagram. The series triggers a global reckoning with social media's impact on children.

verdict
September 2019

Google/YouTube $170M COPPA Settlement

Google and YouTube agree to pay $170 million to settle FTC and New York Attorney General allegations that YouTube violated the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act by collecting personal information from children under 13 without parental consent. The settlement requires YouTube to implement a system for identifying children's content and limiting data collection on such content.

settlement
September 2017

Facebook Internal Research Begins

Facebook (now Meta) begins internal research studying the effects of Instagram on teen mental health. Researchers find that Instagram makes body image issues worse for one in three teen girls, that teens blame Instagram for increases in anxiety and depression, and that the platform's Explore page exposes users to eating disorder content they did not seek. The research is suppressed and not publicly disclosed until 2021.

product-launch
Case Results

Notable Verdicts & Settlements

Settlement
Confidential

TikTok K.G.M. Bellwether Settlement

TikTok reached a confidential settlement with the plaintiffs in K.G.M. v. Meta/YouTube, the first social media addiction bellwether case. The settlement, reached January 26-27, 2026, removed TikTok as a defendant from the bellwether trial that began February 10, 2026. While the settlement amount is sealed, TikTok's willingness to settle before trial signals recognition of significant liability exposure. The settlement terms are expected to inform the broader resolution framework for the remaining TikTok cases in MDL 3047.

2026-01-27
Settlement
Confidential

Snap Inc. K.G.M. Bellwether Settlement

Snap Inc. reached a confidential settlement with the plaintiffs in the K.G.M. bellwether case in mid-January 2026, removing Snapchat as a defendant from the trial. Snap faced particular scrutiny in the bellwether case for its streaks feature, which creates compulsive daily engagement, and for its role in facilitating contact between minors and harmful actors. The settlement signals Snap's assessment that trial outcomes would be unfavorable and is expected to influence resolution of the remaining Snapchat claims in the MDL.

2026-01-15
Settlement
$170,000,000

Google/YouTube COPPA Settlement

Google and YouTube agreed to pay $170 million to settle FTC and New York Attorney General allegations that YouTube violated the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act by collecting personal information from children under 13 without parental consent and using the data to serve targeted advertising. The settlement required YouTube to implement a system for identifying children's content, limiting data collection, and disabling personalized advertising on content directed at children. At the time, it was the largest COPPA enforcement action in history.

2019-09-04
Settlement
$520,000,000

Epic Games FTC Settlement (COPPA + Dark Patterns)

Epic Games agreed to pay $520 million to settle FTC allegations of COPPA violations and dark patterns in Fortnite. While primarily a gaming case, the settlement established critical federal precedent for enforcement against technology companies that use addictive design and deceptive practices targeting children. The FTC's findings regarding dark patterns, inadequate parental controls, and monetization of minors apply directly to social media platforms' practices and have been cited in MDL 3047 proceedings.

2022-12-19
Settlement
$5,000,000,000

Meta/Facebook FTC Privacy Settlement

Meta (then Facebook) agreed to pay $5 billion to settle FTC allegations of privacy violations stemming from the Cambridge Analytica scandal and broader deceptive data practices. The settlement — the largest privacy penalty in history — established that Meta's business model systematically prioritized data collection and engagement over user privacy and protection. The settlement required Meta to implement new privacy governance structures, but critics noted the penalty represented less than one month of Meta's revenue and failed to change the company's fundamental business model.

2019-07-24
Settlement
$92,000,000

TikTok $92M Class Action (Privacy)

TikTok agreed to pay $92 million to settle a class action lawsuit alleging the platform violated Illinois' Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) and federal privacy laws by collecting and sharing users' biometric data — including facial geometry and voiceprints — without consent. The settlement covered users across multiple states and highlighted TikTok's aggressive data collection practices, particularly as they apply to minor users whose biometric data was collected without parental consent.

2021-02-25
Jury Verdict
Pending — trial began Feb 10, 2026

K.G.M. v. Meta/YouTube Bellwether (Pending)

K.G.M. v. Meta/YouTube is the first social media addiction bellwether trial, which began February 10, 2026 in LA County Superior Court. TikTok and Snap settled their portions of the case confidentially in January 2026. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified February 18-19, 2026. The trial will establish critical precedent for the remaining 1,600+ cases in MDL 3047 and is expected to set the framework for settlement negotiations. The outcome will determine how courts evaluate the causal connection between platform design and youth mental health harm.

2026-02-10
Stay informed

Get free updates on the Social Media Addiction as it develops

No phone call required. We will email you when there is meaningful news — new filings, settlements, or important deadlines.

By submitting, you agree to receive email updates about this case. You can unsubscribe anytime. This is not legal advice, and we are not a law firm.

Full Case Details

Want the Complete Picture?

View eligibility criteria, settlement information, scientific evidence, and start a free case review.

View Full Social Media Addiction Case Page