Snapshot:

On 24 October 2023, 33 States filed a lawsuit against Meta in California federal court. They allege its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, create environments that endanger younger users’ mental health. The lawsuit accuses Meta of prioritising profit over child safety by deliberately designing addictive features that attract and retain minors, despite evidence of negative impacts on their mental health. n 18 August 2026, the trial against Meta began and, on 26 August 2026, an agreement between Meta and the coalition of state attorneys general was reached. As part of the settlement, Meta will pay up to USD17b and introduce measures aimed at protecting teenage users. The case is closed.

Legal argument

The legal argument is that Meta prioritises profit over child safety by deliberately creating addictive features and not adequately protecting minors from harmful content, which violates New Mexico’s Unfair Practices Act.

The lawsuit seeks financial damages and restitution and that Meta stops its practices that violate the law.

Meta said it was “disappointed by the route taken by the attorneys general”.

Legal Proceedings

In October 2023, 33 states filed a lawsuit against Meta in California federal court, accusing the company of endangering younger users’ mental health and exploiting young users for profit. Four of the states later withdrew from the case.

In October 2024, the court ruled that Meta must face these allegations, allowing the states’ case to proceed.

The states’ case was incorporated into Multidistrict litigation (MDL) 3047 before the US District Court for the Northern District of California, together with lawsuits brought by individuals, families and school districts against Meta and other social media companies before federal courts across the country for coordinated pretrial proceedings.

The first federal trial of the state attorneys general’s claims against Meta began on 18 August 2026. It considered California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey’s claims under their respective consumer protection laws, as well as claims brought by 29 states under the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). On 26 August 2026, an agreement between Meta and the coalition of state attorneys general to settle the claims was announced. As part of the settlement, Meta will pay up to USD17b and introduce measures aimed at protecting teenage users.

As a result of the settlement, the case brought by attorneys general in federal court is closed, but other cases brought by school districts, individuals and families that are part of a MDL No. 3047 remain ongoing.

News items

USA: Meta and state attorneys general agree to settlement of up to USD17b in social media addiction case, 26 Aug 2026

USA: Meta faces first federal trial over claims by state attorneys general that its platforms harm children, NPR, 17 Aug 2026

USA: Federal judge allows social media addiction test trial to proceed on state attorneys-generals’ claims, Reuters, 30 June 2026

Meta must face US state lawsuits over teen social media addiction, Reuters, 16 Oct 2024

Meta sued by 33 states over claims youth mental health endangered by Instagram, Guardian, 24 Oct 2023

States sue Meta claiming its social platforms are addictive and harm children’s mental health, AP, 24 Oct 2023

Court documents

Complaint, 24 Oct 2023

Court documents