Reviewed by Fob James IV, Esq. and James Foster, Esq. | Fob & Foster Personal Injury Lawyers | Last Updated: November 12, 2026

Meta Lawsuit — November 2026 Status: Meta settled with the last plaintiff suing it in the second Los Angeles trial on October 30, so that trial never reached a jury. The only verdict so far is the March 2026 award of $6 million, with 70 percent of the fault placed on Meta; Meta is appealing. Meta’s August 26 deal with the states guarantees them $12.19 billion and pays nothing to families. 4,309 cases are pending in federal MDL 3047 as of November 2, and the next trials are set for February and March 2027. Call 866-837-1010 for a free case review.

When people search for the Meta lawsuit, they usually mean the cases claiming that Instagram and Facebook were built to hook children and teenagers, and that Meta knew it was hurting them. Families, school districts and nearly every state have sued. This page covers what those cases claim, what Meta has paid so far and to whom, and who can still file.

Fob & Foster Personal Injury Lawyers review claims against Meta for families in Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee, and work with co-counsel for families in other states. The call is free: 866-837-1010.

Filing Deadline Warning: Meta’s settlements with the states do not file anything for your family, and they do not stop the clock. Your state sets the deadline: generally one year in Tennessee and two in Alabama and Georgia. Call 866-837-1010 to have your dates checked.

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Meta Lawsuit Updates

Latest Update, November 3, 2026: Meta reached a confidential settlement on October 30 with K.D.B., an 18-year-old from Mississippi who claimed Instagram and Facebook were designed to be addictive and caused her mental health problems and disordered eating. Meta had already settled with the other plaintiff in that trial, and Snap settled with both on November 2, so the trial was called off. Meta still faces its appeal of the March verdict, a federal school-district trial set for February 2027 and the next Los Angeles injury trial in March 2027.

The full dated history for Meta, TikTok, Snap and YouTube is in our social media addiction lawsuit update log.

What Is the Meta Lawsuit?

The lawsuits say Meta designed Instagram and Facebook to keep young users on the apps as long as possible, with endless feeds, like counts, beauty filters and constant notifications, and that its own researchers told the company what this was doing to teenagers. One internal finding reported from Meta’s research was that Instagram made body image issues worse for one in three teenage girls. Our Instagram lawsuit page goes through that evidence and the features involved.

Three kinds of plaintiffs are suing Meta. Families bring injury claims for a child or young adult. School districts want the cost of dealing with the fallout. State attorneys general enforce consumer protection laws. The federal cases are coordinated in MDL 3047 before Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in the Northern District of California, and California state-court cases are before Judge Carolyn Kuhl in Los Angeles. Meta is a defendant alongside TikTok, Snap and YouTube in most of them.

What Meta Has Paid or Been Ordered to Pay

DateWhat happenedWho is paid
March 2026A New Mexico jury imposes a $375 million civil penalty on Meta. Meta has said it will appeal.The State of New Mexico
March 25, 2026A Los Angeles jury awards $6 million in the K.G.M. case and puts 70 percent of the fault on Meta and 30 percent on YouTube. Both are appealing.One plaintiff, if the verdict stands
May 21, 2026Meta is the last of four companies to settle the Breathitt County, Kentucky school district case, reportedly about $27 million combined.The school district
August 6, 2026A New Mexico judge orders Meta to pay $567 million into a youth mental health fund.The State of New Mexico
August 26, 2026Meta settles with the states mid-trial: $12.19 billion guaranteed over ten years, up to $17.1 billion if other platforms agree to similar terms.State governments
Fall 2026Meta settles with both plaintiffs in the second Los Angeles trial on confidential terms.Those two plaintiffs

Almost all of that money goes to governments. Tennessee, for example, is to receive about $751.9 million from the August settlement, and Georgia’s attorney general has said Georgia will receive close to $100 million. None of it is paid to a family whose child was hurt.

What Meta Agreed to Change

In the August 26 settlement Meta agreed to change how Instagram and Facebook work for users under 18:

  • A two-hour default daily limit
  • No access between midnight and 6 a.m.
  • No notifications during school hours by default
  • No public like counts on minors’ posts
  • No cosmetic-surgery filters
  • A feed option without algorithmic targeting
  • An independent auditor to check compliance

Those are the same features the injury lawsuits describe. Our post on what Meta’s settlement means for individual claims explains why that matters for families.

Who Qualifies for a Meta Lawsuit?

A claim against Meta looks like any other social media injury claim, with Instagram or Facebook as the app. We look for four things:

Does Your Child Have a Claim Against Meta?

Your family may have a claim if all four are true:

  • The user is 25 or younger today, or was under 18 when the heavy use began.
  • They used Instagram or Facebook about three or more hours a day, starting before age 18.
  • They were diagnosed with depression, anxiety, an eating disorder, body dysmorphia, self-harm or suicidal thoughts.
  • They were treated by a doctor, psychiatrist, therapist or counselor.

All four? Call 866-837-1010 or send us a message. The review is free and confidential.

Most teenagers used more than one app, so most families also name TikTok, Snap or YouTube. See our social media addiction lawsuit page for the claims against all four companies, and our post on who qualifies and how to file for your child for the steps.

Is There a Meta Class Action Lawsuit?

Not for children’s mental health injuries. A class action pools many small, similar losses into one case, and Meta has faced those over privacy and data practices. A child’s eating disorder or depression is not a small, similar loss, so each family files its own lawsuit and the court coordinates them. Nothing is filed for you automatically, there is no claim form, and a family that does not file is not included in anything.

How Long Do You Have to File?

Tennessee generally allows one year. Alabama and Georgia generally allow two. Each state has its own rules for minors and for when the clock starts. Our state pages explain them: Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee. If you live elsewhere, call and we will check your state’s deadline.

How We Work

  • You talk to a lawyer. Fob James IV handles client communication himself.
  • The fee is 33 to 40 percent, and only if we recover money for your family.
  • We are licensed in Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee and work with co-counsel elsewhere.

Meta Lawsuit FAQs

What is the Meta lawsuit about?

The lawsuits claim Meta designed Instagram and Facebook to keep children and teenagers using them compulsively, knew from its own research that this was harming them, and did not warn families. Families are suing for the injuries; states and school districts have brought their own cases.

Did Meta settle the lawsuit?

Meta has settled some cases and not others. It settled with the states on August 26, 2026 for at least $12.19 billion, and it has settled a few individual cases shortly before trial on confidential terms. There is no settlement covering the thousands of family injury claims.

Will my family get money from Meta’s settlement with the states?

No. That money goes to state governments. A family recovers only through its own injury claim.

Is there a Meta class action for teen mental health?

No. Each family files an individual lawsuit, and the federal cases are grouped in MDL 3047 for pretrial work. Meta has faced class actions over other things, such as privacy, but those do not pay for a child’s mental health injury.

Who can file a claim against Meta?

Usually a parent or guardian for a child, or a young adult in their own name. The typical claim involves someone 25 or younger who used Instagram or Facebook heavily before age 18, was diagnosed with depression, anxiety, an eating disorder, self-harm or suicidal thoughts, and received treatment.

How long do we have to file against Meta?

The deadline comes from your state. Tennessee generally allows one year, and Alabama and Georgia generally allow two. Rules for minors can change the date, so have a lawyer check it.

Talk to a Lawyer About a Meta Claim

If Instagram or Facebook harmed your child, call Fob & Foster Personal Injury Lawyers at 866-837-1010 or request a free case review online. We will tell you whether the claim qualifies and what your state’s deadline is. There is no fee unless we recover.

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