What Is the Meta Lawsuit?
The Meta lawsuit is a group of separate legal proceedings against Meta Platforms, Inc., the owner of Facebook and Instagram. The largest is MDL 3047, a federal multidistrict litigation that consolidates social media addiction cases before Chief Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in the Northern District of California. The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation created it on October 6, 2022.
Meta faces related cases in other courts. A Los Angeles state proceeding, JCCP 5255, tests individual injury claims. State attorneys general and school districts have also sued. Two New Mexico cases have produced court-ordered penalties. That state's attorney general brought both.
Searches for the Meta lawsuit also surface the Federal Trade Commission's antitrust case over Instagram and WhatsApp. That case is a separate matter, covered in the comparison section below.
“These actions present common factual questions arising from allegations that defendants' social media platforms are defective because they are designed to maximize user screen time, which can encourage addictive behavior in adolescents. Plaintiffs allege defendants were aware, but failed to warn the public, that their platforms were harmful to minors.”
Source: U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, In re: Social Media Adolescent Addiction/Personal Injury Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 3047, Transfer Order, Document 119 (October 6, 2022)
Why Are People Filing Meta Lawsuits?
People are filing Meta lawsuits because they say Facebook and Instagram were built to keep young users scrolling and that Meta concealed the resulting harm. Families, school districts, and states point to features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, notifications, and beauty filters. They allege those features drive compulsive use by minors.
Plaintiffs also say Meta's minimum age of 13 went largely unenforced. Meta denies liability. It says teen mental health cannot be linked to a single app. It points to tools such as Teen Accounts and daily time limits.
The two New Mexico cases add different theories. One says Meta misled users about child safety and sexual exploitation. The other says Meta misled users about who could access their data.
What Injuries Are Included in the Meta Lawsuit?
The injuries included in the Meta lawsuit fall into six categories of alleged harm, mostly mental health injuries to minors plus privacy harm to adult users. Meta denies each allegation and is contesting the verdicts that went against it.
Compulsive Social Media Use
Compulsive social media use means repeated, hard-to-control use of an app despite a person's wish to cut back.
The Panel's centralization order describes the core allegation: platforms designed to maximize screen time can encourage addictive behavior in adolescents. The K.G.M. plaintiff testified that she began using Instagram at age nine and spent up to 16 hours on it in a single day.
Instagram head Adam Mosseri disputed the addiction label. He testified that 16 hours of use in one day did not show addiction.
Depression and Anxiety
Depression is a mood condition marked by persistent sadness or loss of interest, and anxiety is persistent worry that interferes with daily life.
The K.G.M. complaint alleged anxiety and depression among its injuries. The New Mexico court found that Meta's design features contributed to higher rates of both among young people.
Meta's lawyers argued that the K.G.M. plaintiff's family history and difficulties at home played a larger role. They also said none of her therapists identified social media as the cause.
Eating Disorders and Body Dysmorphia
Eating disorders are conditions involving serious disturbances in eating behavior, and body dysmorphia is intense focus on perceived flaws in one's appearance.
The K.G.M. plaintiff testified that she did not experience the negative feelings tied to her body dysmorphia diagnosis before she began using social media and filters. Her lawyers questioned Meta's executives about Instagram's beauty filters.
The New Mexico court also listed eating disorders among the harms it linked to Meta's design features. The multistate settlement restricts certain appearance-related filters for teens.
Self-Harm and Suicidal Ideation
Self-harm means deliberately hurting oneself, and suicidal ideation means thinking about ending one's own life.
The K.G.M. complaint listed self-harm and the plaintiff described suicidal thoughts at trial. The New Mexico court found that Meta's features contributed to higher suicide risk among young people.
In late July 2026, families of four teenagers who died by suicide sued Meta, TikTok, Snap, and YouTube, according to NPR. No court has ruled on those claims.
Child Sexual Exploitation
Child sexual exploitation means the abuse or manipulation of a minor for sexual purposes, including online grooming.
The New Mexico attorney general's child-safety case asked whether Meta knew about child sexual exploitation on its platforms and acted on it. The judge found the platforms contributed to such exploitation.
The state's evidence included an undercover operation its office called Operation MetaPhile. Witnesses from law enforcement and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children testified that many of Meta's reports were of little use to investigators.
Privacy and Data Misuse
Data misuse means a company letting outside parties access or use personal information in ways users did not expect.
The second New Mexico case grew out of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which a political consulting firm obtained data from up to 87 million Facebook users. The firm used a third-party app. The state alleged Meta misled New Mexico users in three areas. Those were who could access their data, how it handled hate speech and misinformation, and its internal policies.
Meta says it does not sell user data and that the state did not prove any consumer was misled.
Who Qualifies for the Meta Lawsuit?
You may qualify if:
- You or your child used Instagram, Facebook, or another named platform before turning 18
- A provider later diagnosed a related condition, such as depression, anxiety, an eating disorder, or self-harm
- Your use was heavy or compulsive and began in childhood or adolescence
- You are a parent or guardian of a minor who meets these facts, or represent the estate of a minor who died
You may not qualify if:
- Your use began only as an adult, which most current injury claims do not cover
- You have no medical or counseling record tied to your symptoms
- You already settled or released a claim against Meta
- You are seeking a share of the state settlement, which pays states and offers no individual claim form
Eligibility depends on your facts, your state's statute of limitations, and a case reviewer's evaluation. Only a qualified attorney reviewing your records can confirm whether you qualify.
What Is the Current Status of the Meta Lawsuit?
The current status of the Meta lawsuit is that the state attorney general claims are settled and individual injury cases continue. Meta has announced appeals of the two New Mexico judgments. MDL 3047 listed 3,824 pending actions on the Judicial Panel's October 1, 2026 report, out of 4,009 filed since its creation.
Each proceeding below has its own court, judge, and docket.
MDL 3047 (Federal Consolidation)
The Panel centralized the first 28 actions, pending in 17 districts, in October 2022. The consolidation covers claims against Meta, Snap, TikTok, and YouTube.
| Court | U.S. District Court, Northern District of California |
| Case Number | 4:22-md-03047-YGR (MDL No. 3047) |
| Judge | Chief Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers |
| Created | October 6, 2022 |
| Pending Actions | 3,824 (JPML report dated October 1, 2026) |
| Current Stage | Personal injury and school district tracks pending; state attorney general claims resolved August 26, 2026 |
The MDL also holds claims from personal injury plaintiffs, tribes, and more than 1,200 school districts. The state settlement does not resolve them. The first school district bellwether, Breathitt County, Kentucky, was reported settled weeks before its planned June 2026 trial.
California et al. v. Meta Platforms, Inc.
California, Colorado, Kentucky, New Jersey, and other states filed this case on October 24, 2023. They alleged Meta violated state consumer protection laws and the federal Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.
| Court | U.S. District Court, Northern District of California |
| Case Number | 4:23-cv-05448-YGR |
| Judge | Chief Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers |
| Filed | October 24, 2023 |
| Plaintiffs | 29 states in the federal complaint; 51 attorneys general in the settlement per Connecticut |
| Current Stage | Consent judgment filed and approved August 26, 2026 |
The court denied Meta's summary judgment motion on June 29, 2026, finding material disputes over whether Meta must comply with COPPA. Trial opened in Oakland on August 18, 2026, and the settlement came eight days later.
K.G.M. v. Meta et al. (JCCP 5255)
The plaintiff, identified as K.G.M. and now 20, sued in 2023. Mark Lanier of Lanier Law Firm represented her. Snap and TikTok settled before trial.
| Court | Los Angeles County Superior Court |
| Case Number | JCCP 5255 |
| Judge | Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl |
| Verdict | March 25, 2026 |
| Damages | $6 million ($3 million compensatory, $3 million punitive) |
| Fault Split | Meta 70 percent, YouTube 30 percent |
| Current Stage | Post-trial motions denied June 2026; Meta and Google appealing |
The jury found Meta and YouTube negligent in designing their platforms and in failing to warn of the risks. It also found they acted with malice, oppression, or fraud. About 1,600 plaintiffs have related actions coordinated in JCCP 5255.
New Mexico Child-Safety Case
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez filed this case on December 5, 2023. A jury trial ran from February 2 to March 24, 2026, followed by a bench trial on public nuisance from May 4 to May 22, 2026.
| Court | First Judicial District Court, Santa Fe County |
| Case Number | D-101-CV-2023-02838 |
| Judge | Judge Bryan Biedscheid |
| Jury Penalty | $375 million (75,000 violations at $5,000 each) |
| Abatement Order | $567 million, entered August 6, 2026 ($420 million for treatment) |
| Total | $942 million |
| Current Stage | Meta has said it will appeal |
The court found Meta created a public nuisance and ordered it to reduce the harm rather than shut the platforms down.
New Mexico Privacy Case
New Mexico sued Meta in 2021 over its dealings with Cambridge Analytica. A jury found in September 2026 that 26 of 29 statements by the company and its leadership were misleading.
| Court | New Mexico state district court, Santa Fe |
| Judge | Judge Francis Mathew |
| Jury Finding | More than 43 million violations of New Mexico consumer protection law |
| Penalty Ordered | $25 billion on October 21, 2026 |
| Penalty Cap Sought by Meta | $3.45 billion |
| Current Stage | Meta plans to appeal |
The judge found a penalty above $210 billion warranted before reducing it to $25 billion. Under state law the money goes to New Mexico's school system.
How Much Is the Meta Lawsuit Settlement?
The Meta lawsuit settlement is worth up to $17.1 billion to the states, with $12.19 billion guaranteed over 10 years. Meta agreed to it on August 26, 2026, and denies any liability.
Settlement figures describe payments to states. Any estimate of what an individual injury claim is worth would be speculation, and only a qualified attorney reviewing your records can evaluate a claim.
The money goes to the states, not to individuals. The consent judgment carves out claims by private individuals, so no claim form exists and no per-person payout is scheduled. Connecticut's share, for example, is up to $265.4 million, with at least half set aside for youth harm programs.
Meta pays a $75 million cost fund within 30 days of the effective date. It then pays the guaranteed amounts in ten annual installments, with later payments due each January 15 starting in 2027. The extra $4.91 billion depends on whether TikTok, YouTube, and Snapchat adopt comparable terms.
Outlets reported different totals, including $16.7 billion, $17.1 billion, and about $18 billion. This page uses the state attorney general release and the consent judgment.
Meta must also change its products for teens. The terms include a combined two-hour daily default limit across Facebook and Instagram, a midnight to 6 a.m. access block, and no school-hour push notifications. Beauty filters and visible like counts face limits, and an independent auditor checks compliance.
The New Mexico penalties and the K.G.M. award are separate from this settlement. No global settlement for individual injury claims has been announced.
Meta Lawsuit Updates
Here are the latest Meta lawsuit updates, covering new court filings, rulings, and case-count reports as they're confirmed. The multistate attorney general claims in MDL 3047 settled as of October 2026; the terms and timing are covered in the entries below. See the full timeline below for every confirmed development since the litigation began.
Full Meta Lawsuit Timeline
FTC and 46 states sue over Instagram and WhatsApp
The Federal Trade Commission, joined by 46 states, sued Facebook on December 8, 2020. The suit alleged the company built an illegal monopoly through its Instagram and WhatsApp acquisitions. It is the antitrust case separate from the child-harm litigation.
Judicial Panel creates MDL 3047
The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation centralized the social media adolescent addiction cases in the Northern District of California on October 6, 2022. The order covered 28 actions in 17 districts and assigned Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers.
States file the multistate complaint against Meta
A coalition of state attorneys general filed California et al. v. Meta Platforms, Inc., No. 4:23-cv-05448, in the Northern District of California on October 24, 2023. The 233-page complaint alleged deceptive practices toward young users and COPPA violations.
New Mexico sues over child safety
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez filed State ex rel. Torrez v. Meta Platforms, Inc., No. D-101-CV-2023-02838, in Santa Fe County on December 5, 2023. The complaint sought civil penalties and an order to abate a public nuisance.
Judge Kuhl keeps the K.G.M. case alive
Los Angeles Judge Carolyn Kuhl denied summary judgment motions by Meta and Google in the K.G.M. case on November 5, 2025. That ruling cleared the way for the first jury trial of an individual social media addiction claim.
Judge rules for Meta in the FTC antitrust case
Judge James Boasberg of the District of Columbia ruled for Meta on November 18, 2025. He found the FTC had not shown Meta held monopoly power at the time of the ruling.
FTC appeals its antitrust loss
The FTC announced on January 20, 2026 that it would appeal the Boasberg ruling to the D.C. Circuit. As of late May 2026, the agency was asking the appeals court to revive the case.
New Mexico jury trial opens in Santa Fe
Phase 1 of the New Mexico child-safety trial began on February 2, 2026. The jury heard about seven weeks of testimony on Meta's safety statements and its handling of child sexual exploitation.
New Mexico jury orders $375 million in penalties
A Santa Fe jury found Meta liable on both state Unfair Practices Act claims on March 24, 2026. It counted 75,000 violations and imposed the $5,000 maximum penalty for each, a total of $375 million.
Los Angeles jury finds Meta and YouTube liable in K.G.M.
The K.G.M. jury returned its verdict on March 25, 2026, after nine days of deliberation. It awarded $3 million in compensatory and $3 million in punitive damages and assigned 70 percent of the fault to Meta and 30 percent to YouTube.
New Mexico public nuisance bench trial begins
Judge Bryan Biedscheid opened the second phase of the New Mexico child-safety case on May 4, 2026. The bench trial ran through May 22 and considered the state's request for abatement funding and platform changes.
Meta settles the first school district bellwether
Reports in late May 2026 said Meta settled the Breathitt County, Kentucky school district case weeks before its planned June trial. The sources reviewed did not agree on the settlement amount.
Judge Kuhl denies post-trial motions in K.G.M.
Judge Carolyn Kuhl denied the post-trial motions of Meta and Google in the K.G.M. case in June 2026. Both companies filed appeals the following month.
Federal judge denies Meta's summary judgment bid
Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers denied Meta's motion for summary judgment against the state attorneys general on June 29, 2026. She found material fact disputes on whether Meta must comply with COPPA, and denied part of the states' cross-motion.
New Mexico court orders $567 million abatement
The Santa Fe court entered its findings and judgment on August 6, 2026, ruling that Meta created a public nuisance. It ordered $567 million into an abatement fund, bringing the New Mexico child-safety total to $942 million.
Oakland trial opens against Meta
The first MDL 3047 trial began in Oakland on August 18, 2026. Four states were first to try their claims that Meta designed Facebook and Instagram to addict children.
Meta settles with the state attorneys general
Meta and the states filed a consent judgment in Oakland on August 26, 2026, and Judge Gonzalez Rogers approved it that day. It guarantees $12.19 billion over 10 years, up to $17.1 billion in total, and requires teen safety changes. Meta denies liability.
New Mexico jury finds Meta misled users on privacy
A Santa Fe jury found on September 25, 2026 that 26 of 29 Meta statements about data privacy were misleading. It counted more than 43 million violations of New Mexico consumer protection law.
MDL 3047 reports 3,824 pending actions
The Judicial Panel's October 1, 2026 statistics report listed 3,824 pending actions in MDL 3047 and 4,009 filed in total. The social media addiction MDL ranks among the largest active dockets in the federal system.
New Mexico judge orders Meta to pay $25 billion
Judge Francis Mathew ordered Meta to pay $25 billion on October 21, 2026 in New Mexico's Cambridge Analytica privacy case. The state had asked for $35 billion to $40 billion, and Meta had urged a cap of $3.45 billion. Meta plans to appeal.
How to File a Meta Lawsuit
Here are the 6 steps to file a Meta lawsuit.
- Gather your account and usage records: Collect your Instagram or Facebook username, join date, and any screen-time data available in the app's settings.
- Document the diagnosis and treatment: Collect medical, therapy, or school counseling records showing the condition and when it began.
- Note your age when use started: Most current injury claims depend on whether heavy use began before age 18.
- Consult a social media addiction attorney: An attorney can review whether your facts fit MDL 3047, JCCP 5255, or a state court track.
- Confirm your filing deadline: Statutes of limitation differ by state and may be paused for minors, so ask the attorney which deadline applies.
- Let the attorney file your case: Individual injury cases are generally filed in or transferred into MDL 3047 or the Los Angeles coordinated proceeding.
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What Evidence Do You Need for a Meta Lawsuit?
Evidence for a Meta lawsuit claim centers on proof of platform use, a diagnosed condition, and the timeline linking them. Account records and screen-time data show when and how heavily you used Instagram or Facebook.
Medical, therapy, or school counseling records document the condition and when it began. Messages, photos, and a parent's notes can show changes in behavior.
Meta argued in the K.G.M. trial that family and school difficulties explained the plaintiff's condition. Records that show other contributing factors therefore also matter to an attorney's evaluation.
What Did Meta Allegedly Know About Social Media Harm to Minors?
Plaintiffs say Meta's own documents show it knew teens struggled to put its apps down. The K.G.M. jury saw internal emails. One from 2015 set a goal to raise time spent by 12 percent. A 2017 message called teens the company's top priority.
A 2019 outside research report for Instagram found teens felt hooked despite how the app made them feel. A 2019 email from executive Nick Clegg warned that unenforced age limits made it hard to claim Meta was doing all it could. An internal document showed only 1.1 percent of teen users used the daily time limit tool.
| Position | Who | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Says he regrets not identifying under-13 users faster | Mark Zuckerberg | February 2026 |
| Says teen mental health cannot be linked to a single app | Meta spokesperson | March 25, 2026 |
| Says the states cherry-picked features and ignored its safety tools | Meta | August 2026 |
| Says it does not sell user data and no consumer was misled | Meta court filings | October 2026 |
| Fined Meta $5 billion over Cambridge Analytica | Federal Trade Commission | 2019 |
Meta denies the allegations and has said it will appeal the verdicts against it. The settlement with the states is not a finding of liability.
How Does the Meta Lawsuit Compare to Related Cases?
The Meta lawsuit differs from the FTC antitrust case and the shareholder privacy suit in its claims, plaintiffs, and remedies. The child-harm cases seek damages, penalties, and product changes. The antitrust case asks whether Meta must divest Instagram and WhatsApp.
| Case | Plaintiff | Status |
|---|---|---|
| FTC v. Meta Platforms (D.D.C.) | Federal Trade Commission | Ruled for Meta in November 2025; FTC appeal pending |
| Shareholder suit over Cambridge Analytica (Delaware Chancery Court) | Meta shareholders seeking $8 billion | Settled during trial in 2025; amount not disclosed |
| MDL 3047 personal injury and school district cases | Individuals, school districts, tribes | Pending in Oakland |
| Multistate attorney general case | State attorneys general | Settled by consent judgment August 26, 2026 |
The Facebook lawsuit page follows the same MDL 3047 litigation from the Facebook and Instagram side.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Meta lawsuit about?
The Meta lawsuit is about claims that Facebook and Instagram were designed to be addictive to minors and that Meta hid the risks. Related New Mexico cases add claims about child sexual exploitation and data privacy. Meta denies liability in every case.
Is the Meta lawsuit a class action or an MDL?
The main Meta lawsuit is an MDL, not a class action. MDL 3047 consolidates individual injury, school district, tribal, and state claims for shared pretrial work in the Northern District of California. Individual claims are filed separately rather than as one class.
How much is the Meta lawsuit settlement?
The Meta lawsuit settlement is worth up to $17.1 billion to the states, with $12.19 billion guaranteed over 10 years. Meta agreed to it on August 26, 2026 and denies liability. Reported totals differ by outlet.
Can I get money from the Meta settlement?
You generally cannot get money from the Meta settlement as an individual, because the payments go to the states. The consent judgment preserves private individuals' own claims, but no claim form exists. A separate personal injury case would need its own filing.
Did Meta lose the New Mexico lawsuits?
Yes. Meta lost both New Mexico cases in trial court. The child-safety case produced $375 million in jury penalties and a $567 million abatement order, and the privacy case produced a $25 billion penalty on October 21, 2026. Meta has said it will appeal.
Is the Meta lawsuit the same as the Facebook lawsuit?
No. The Meta lawsuit and the Facebook lawsuit overlap but are not identical, because Meta is the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. Searches for either term lead to the same MDL 3047 litigation, and our Facebook lawsuit page follows it from the Facebook side.
Is the FTC antitrust case part of the Meta lawsuit?
No. The FTC antitrust case is not part of the Meta lawsuit over child harm. It challenges Meta's Instagram and WhatsApp acquisitions, Judge Boasberg ruled for Meta in November 2025, and the FTC is appealing.
Who is the judge in the Meta lawsuit?
The judge in the main Meta lawsuit, MDL 3047, is Chief Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers of the Northern District of California. Judge Carolyn Kuhl presides over the Los Angeles K.G.M. proceeding, and two different New Mexico judges handled the state cases.