Thousands of lawsuits brought in California state courts by teenagers, their families and school districts allege that social media platforms operated by Meta (Facebook and Instagram), Google (Youtube), TikTok and Snap cause mental health harms to children and teens.
The cases are being coordinated in a Judicial Council Coordination Proceeding before the Los Angeles County Superior Court.
In January 2026, trial began in the first test case, which concerns a woman who alleges that her compulsive use of social media as a child contributed to her mental health issues. Snap and TikTok settled shortly before trial.
On 25 March 2026, the jury found Meta and Google liable and awarded the woman USD6m in damages. The companies have stated that they will appeal the verdict.
Separate proceedings are also ongoing in federal court in California over similar allegations. There is also an ongoing case against Meta in New Mexico state court over allegations that it failed to protect children from sexual exploitation.