Social Media Harm Lawsuit: What You Need to Know

Updated June 2026  |  No Fee Unless You Win

Teens and young adults across the country are suffering serious mental health injuries that lawsuits allege are linked to the design and business practices of major social media platforms. Attorneys are reviewing claims on behalf of young people and their families.

By the Editorial Staff  |  Last Updated: June 2026

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Case at a Glance

• What’s Alleged: Social media platforms were designed to keep young users addicted, with features that plaintiffs allege caused serious and documented mental health harm.
• Platforms Involved: Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube.
• Who May Qualify: People under age 22 who used these platforms before age 18 and suffered a diagnosed mental health injury linked to that use.
• Reported Harms: Suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, self-harm, eating disorders, body dysmorphia, and PTSD.
• Current Status: Active MDL litigation underway; status subject to change.
• Cost to You: $0 upfront. Contingency fee only.

What Is the Social Media Harm Lawsuit About?

Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook, and YouTube are platforms that billions of people use every day. For young people especially, they have become a central part of daily life. But lawsuits filed across the country allege that these platforms were not simply built for connection. They were allegedly built to be addictive, and young people have paid a serious price for it.

Plaintiffs allege that the companies behind these platforms, including Meta (which owns Instagram and Facebook), ByteDance (TikTok), Snap Inc. (Snapchat), and Google (YouTube), designed their products with features that exploit the developing brains of young users. Infinite scroll, algorithmic content feeds, notification systems, and engagement-driven design are all cited as mechanisms that plaintiffs claim were knowingly engineered to keep young users on the platform as long as possible, regardless of the harm being caused.

The lawsuits do not allege that social media use causes harm in every case. What they allege is that these companies had internal research showing links between their platforms and serious mental health deterioration in younger users, and that they chose not to act on it or disclose it to the public.

Eligibility criteria, companies involved, and litigation status may change as investigations continue. A case review can help determine whether an individual situation may qualify.

The MDL Explained

These cases have been consolidated into a multidistrict litigation (MDL), meaning thousands of individual lawsuits from across the country are being managed together in federal court. Each case is still evaluated on its own facts and injuries, but the MDL process allows courts to handle common pretrial issues more efficiently. The MDL is active and ongoing as of the date of this page.

Which Platforms Are Involved?

Attorneys are currently reviewing claims involving the following social media platforms. To qualify, the injured person must have used at least one of these platforms before the age of 18 and suffered a documented harm that is linked to that use.

• Instagram
• TikTok
• Snapchat
• Facebook
• YouTube

Subject to Change: The platforms included in this litigation may change as the MDL develops. Additional platforms may be added and criteria may be updated. This page reflects current intake guidelines and will be updated as the litigation evolves.

The Harms Being Reported

These are not cases about general unhappiness or time spent online. The injuries attorneys are reviewing are serious, documented mental health conditions that required medical attention. To qualify, the harm must have a recorded medical diagnosis and must be linked to social media use that began before the age of 18.

Below is a breakdown of the qualifying harms currently under review. All injuries must postdate the start of social media use. A diagnosis that predates social media use would not qualify under current criteria. Eligibility criteria may change as the litigation develops.

Suicidality

• Diagnosed suicidal ideation
• Attempted suicide
• Death by suicide

Self-Harmful Behavior

• Cutting or self-injury
• Eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder)
• Body dysmorphia

Diagnosed Mental Health Conditions

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Wrongful Death

• Death by suicide linked to social media use (cause of death must be listed as suicide on the death certificate)
• Death caused by online bullying or platform-related harm

Medical Documentation Is Required

Every qualifying harm must have a recorded medical diagnosis from a licensed mental health or medical professional. Social media use does not need to be the only factor, but it must be linked to the harm. Examples of documentation that may qualify include:

• A written diagnosis from a psychiatrist, psychologist, therapist, or licensed counselor
• Hospital or emergency room records documenting a suicide attempt, self-harm, or psychiatric crisis
• Inpatient or outpatient mental health treatment records that include a formal diagnosis
• School counselor or school psychologist records that reference a clinical diagnosis
• Primary care physician records documenting a referral or diagnosis related to a qualifying condition
• A death certificate listing suicide as the cause of death (required for wrongful death claims)
• Prescription records for medications used to treat a qualifying diagnosed condition (such as antidepressants or antipsychotics)

You do not need to gather all of these before speaking with an attorney. What matters is that some form of documented diagnosis exists. An attorney can help assess whether your records may support a claim.

Why These Companies Are Being Sued

Internal documents from Meta and other companies that have surfaced in litigation suggest that these platforms had research showing their products were linked to depression, anxiety, body image issues, and suicidal thinking in teenage users, particularly teenage girls. Plaintiffs allege that instead of addressing those findings or disclosing them, companies continued to develop and deploy the same features that their own researchers had flagged as harmful.

The core of these lawsuits is not that social media exists. It is that these platforms were allegedly designed in specific ways that targeted young, developing minds, and that the companies knew the consequences and chose profit over the safety of their youngest users.

What the Lawsuits Allege

• Negligent Design: Plaintiffs allege platforms were designed with features like infinite scroll, algorithmic feeds, and notification systems that were specifically intended to maximize engagement in ways that exploit the developing brains of minors.
• Failure to Warn: Lawsuits claim these companies had internal research showing harm to young users and failed to warn parents, users, or the public in any meaningful way.
• Failure to Protect Minors: Plaintiffs allege companies did not take adequate steps to prevent children from accessing platforms or to protect them once they were using them.
• Concealment of Research: Some complaints allege that internal findings about harm to young users were suppressed or not disclosed to regulators, lawmakers, or the public.

Subject to Change: The defendants named in this litigation, the legal theories being pursued, and the status of the cases may all change as the MDL moves forward. New defendants may be added, and some claims may be resolved or dismissed. A legal review is the best way to get current information about your specific situation.

Who May Have a Claim

These claims are specifically for young people. To qualify under current criteria, the injured person must be under the age of 22 at the time of the case review, must have used at least one of the qualifying platforms before the age of 18, and must have a documented diagnosis of one of the qualifying harms that is linked to that social media use.

If the injured person is under 18, a parent or legal guardian must sign on their behalf and provide documentation of their guardian status. If a young person has passed away and the cause of death is listed as suicide on the death certificate, a family member or authorized representative may still be able to file on their behalf.

You do not need to have everything organized before reaching out. A case review can help identify what records may be needed and whether your situation may qualify.

Age and Representation Notes

The injured party must be under 22 years old at the time of intake. If filing on behalf of someone else (OBO), the injured party must be under 18. Anyone 18 or older must file on their own behalf. The injured party must not currently be represented by another attorney for this specific claim. These criteria are subject to change as the litigation develops.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which social media platforms are included in these lawsuits?

Attorneys are currently reviewing claims involving Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube. The injured person must have used at least one of these platforms before the age of 18. This list may change as the litigation develops.

What injuries or diagnoses may qualify?

Qualifying harms currently under review include diagnosed suicidal ideation, attempted suicide, death by suicide, cutting or self-injury, eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder), body dysmorphia, and PTSD. All harms must have a recorded medical diagnosis and must be linked to social media use that began before age 18. Eligibility criteria may change as the litigation develops.

Does my child need a formal diagnosis to qualify?

Yes. A recorded medical diagnosis from a licensed mental health or medical professional is required for each qualifying harm. A general sense that social media has been harmful is not enough on its own. An attorney can review what records exist and help assess whether they may support a claim.

My child is under 18. Can I file on their behalf?

Yes. If the injured person is under 18, a parent or legal guardian may file on their behalf. Documentation of guardian status will be required. If the injured person is 18 or older, they must file on their own behalf under current intake guidelines. These criteria may change as the litigation develops.

My child died by suicide. Can our family still file?

Attorneys are reviewing wrongful death claims in cases where a young person died by suicide and the cause of death is listed as suicide on the death certificate, and where that death is linked to social media use. The person filing must have documented authority to act on behalf of the deceased. A case review can help determine whether your family’s situation may qualify. We are deeply sorry for your loss.

How long do we have to file a claim?

Filing deadlines vary by state and by the specific facts of each situation. Some claims may be subject to statutes of limitations or court deadlines. A legal review can help determine whether time remains to file. The sooner you reach out, the more options you are likely to have.

Does it cost anything to find out if we qualify?

No. The case evaluation is free and confidential. If a case is accepted, attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, meaning there are no upfront costs and no legal fees unless the case results in a settlement or verdict in your favor. No outcome or recovery can be guaranteed.

Think You May Have a Case?

Our team works with young people and families who have suffered serious harm linked to social media use. A case review is free, confidential, and comes with no obligation.

• A brief conversation about what platforms were used and what harms occurred
• No documents needed before we talk
• No fees unless your case results in a recovery

See if Your Situation Qualifies →

Deadlines vary by state. The sooner you reach out, the more options you may have.

Social Media Addiction Litigation Timeline

• May 2026 — Breathitt County school district settlement. The Breathitt County School District reached a reported combined settlement of approximately $27 million with four social media companies, including Meta, Snap, ByteDance, and Alphabet. The settlement was reported as part of the broader school-district litigation tied to allegations that social media platforms harmed students.
• March 25, 2026 — Los Angeles verdict. In the California state coordinated proceeding, a Los Angeles jury returned a $6 million verdict against Meta and YouTube in the first bellwether trial. The verdict included both compensatory and punitive damages and was reported as a major milestone in the social-media addiction litigation.
• March 24, 2026 — New Mexico verdict. A New Mexico jury found Meta liable under the state’s consumer-protection law and ordered the company to pay $375 million in civil penalties. The case focused on allegations that Meta failed to protect minors from sexual predators on Facebook and Instagram, and it became one of the largest public judgments in the broader social-media litigation landscape.
• Ongoing — Federal MDL and related proceedings. The federal multidistrict litigation remains pending in the Northern District of California, alongside the California coordinated state proceeding and related school-district and attorney-general actions.

Disclaimer

This page is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Reading this page or submitting a form does not create an attorney-client relationship. The status of this litigation may change as courts issue new orders, parties file motions, new evidence becomes available, or settlement discussions develop. Eligibility for a legal claim depends on individual facts including platform use, diagnosis, timing, age, and applicable law. No outcome, settlement, compensation, or recovery can be guaranteed. Deadlines vary by state and by individual circumstances. A legal review can help assess whether time remains to file. If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.