Social Media Addiction Lawsuit Tracker

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.