Meta and Instagram Social Media Addiction Lawsuit

Meta Platforms, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, is the central defendant in the social media addiction litigation. Thousands of young people and families allege that Instagram and Facebook were designed to keep minors scrolling compulsively, and that Meta knew from its own research that the platforms could harm teens’ mental health. Meta has not announced a settlement of the individual California bellwether cases described below. It contested K.G.M. through verdict; the plaintiffs in R.K.C. and P.M.Y. dismissed their claims against Meta.

Last updated October 20, 2026.

At a Glance

• Platforms: Instagram and Facebook.
• Courts: federal MDL No. 3047 (N.D. Cal.) and California JCCP No. 5255 (Los Angeles Superior Court).
• Individual verdicts: liable in K.G.M. (March 2026), with $4.2 million of the $6 million award assigned to Meta. On appeal.
• Next trial: October 28, 2026, in Los Angeles, with Snap as co-defendant.
• State cases: multistate settlement of up to $17.1 billion (August 2026); about $942 million in New Mexico; Florida still litigating.

What the Lawsuits Allege Against Instagram and Facebook

The claims focus on product design. Plaintiffs allege that infinite scroll, algorithmic recommendations, likes and follower counts, push notifications and appearance-altering beauty filters were built to maximize the time young users spend on the apps, and that Meta failed to verify ages or give parents effective controls. In the first trial, the plaintiff alleged that Instagram’s beauty filters reinforced her belief that she was unattractive and contributed to depression, anxiety and body dysmorphia. Other plaintiffs allege eating disorders, self-harm and suicidal thoughts.

Internal documents are at the center of the case. At the K.G.M. trial, Zuckerberg was questioned about company records estimating that a large share of 10- to 12-year-olds were using Instagram despite its age limit, and a 2018 document stating that to win with teens, the company had to bring them in as tweens. A brief filed in the federal MDL alleges that Meta halted a 2019 internal study, known as Project Mercury, after it found that people who stopped using Facebook for a week reported less depression and anxiety. Meta says the study was paused because its design was flawed. Much of this traces back to the research Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen made public in 2021.

Meta’s Trial and Settlement Record

On March 25, 2026, the K.G.M. jury found Meta and YouTube negligent. It awarded $3 million in compensatory damages, assigning 70 percent of the fault to Meta, plus $3 million in punitive damages, of which $2.1 million was assessed against Meta. Judge Kuhl denied Meta’s motion for a new trial on June 9, 2026, and Meta has appealed, arguing that the verdict conflicts with Section 230 and the First Amendment. Meta said after the verdict that teen mental health is complex and cannot be linked to a single app.

In July, the second bellwether ended when the plaintiff, a Florida teenager identified as R.K.C., settled with the other defendants and dropped his claims against Meta days before trial. Meta said he received no payment from it and that it would not back away from defending itself. Meta did settle the first federal school district bellwether, brought by Breathitt County Schools in Kentucky, in May 2026. Reuters reported, based on settlement records, that Meta paid $9 million of the roughly $27 million total.

Zuckerberg and Mosseri on the Witness Stand

Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram head Adam Mosseri both testified in the K.G.M. trial in February 2026. Mosseri told the jury he does not believe people can be clinically addicted to social media, distinguishing it from what he called problematic use. Zuckerberg called removing beauty filters paternalistic and said many users lie about their age. On September 29, 2026, Judge Kuhl denied Meta’s motion to quash trial subpoenas for both men in the October 28 trial. LegalScoops covered that ruling in Zuckerberg Ordered Back to the Stand in Social Media Addiction Trial.

State Cases Against Meta

State attorneys general sued Meta in 2023. On August 26, 2026, during the second week of the multistate trial in Oakland, Meta settled for at least $12.1 billion over ten years and up to $17.1 billion if other major platforms adopt comparable terms. The agreement requires changes for minors on Instagram and Facebook, including age verification, a default two-hour daily limit, overnight restrictions and hidden like counts. Texas announced a separate settlement with Meta the same day. The money goes to the states, and individual injury claims are not affected, as LegalScoops explained in Meta’s $17 Billion Settlement Has No Claim Form for Families.

New Mexico tried its own case. A jury imposed $375 million in civil penalties in March 2026, and in August the court added a $567 million abatement fund, for a total of about $942 million. Meta has said it will appeal. Florida did not join the multistate settlement, and on October 7, 2026, it asked a state court to order Meta to verify users’ ages and remove users under 14. Meta called the motion meritless.

Meta’s Response

Meta denies the allegations and says it has built extensive protections for teens. It points to Instagram Teen Accounts, introduced in September 2024, which make teen profiles private by default, silence notifications overnight, limit who can message teens, and require a parent’s permission for users under 16 to loosen those settings. In January 2025, Meta shut down third-party augmented reality filters on its platforms.

For where the full litigation stands, including who may have a claim, compensation and filing deadlines, see the Social Media Addiction Lawsuit Update.

Doyle APC handles Instagram addiction lawsuits nationwide together with experienced co-counsel.

Other companies: TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube.

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