If you or your child used Facebook frequently between the ages of five and 17 — and have been diagnosed with mental health issues — you may be able to file a Facebook lawsuit. Rules and deadlines for filing a lawsuit vary by state, and thousands of people have filed lawsuits against Facebook.

See If You Qualify for a Facebook Lawsuit Get a Free Case Review

People filing Facebook mental health lawsuits typically claim they started using Facebook when they were young and later developed serious mental health problems. Lawsuits allege that Facebook’s parent company, Meta, designed the app so people would spend more time online, which led to addictive behavior and harm.

As of September 2026, there were 3,208 Facebook and other social media lawsuits in a federal multidistrict litigation (MDL) in Northern California. MDLs allow courts to handle several similar cases together, simplifying the legal process. In addition, thousands more cases are combined in a similar, state-based litigation in California state court. However, you do not need to live in California to file a Facebook lawsuit.

In August 2026, Meta offered a $17 billion settlement to 47 states, the District of Columbia and several U.S. territories. At the same time, the company promised to emphasize youth safety by modifying Facebook’s platform. Although these cases were part of MDL 3047, the settlement applies only to those 47 cases. It does not settle any individual claims, nor does it establish a fund for individual plaintiffs in the MDL.
Social Media Apps and Parent Companies Named in MDL-3047

Facebook lawsuits often involve people who began using Facebook between the ages of five and 17, used it every day for three hours or more and are now 25 or younger. They also have records of problems like depression, anxiety, eating disorders or self-harm.

What Is the Facebook Mental Health Lawsuit About?

Facebook mental health lawsuits say Meta, Facebook’s parent company, made the app addictive on purpose. People suing Meta believe the way Facebook works makes users stay online longer, which can lead to problems like depression, anxiety, eating disorders, body image issues and self-harm.

Claims In Facebook Mental Health Lawsuits
  • Facebook’s design encourages addictive behavior
  • Facebook does not verify users’ ages
  • Teens can get around parental controls
  • The app does not do enough to stop harmful or exploitative content

Meta says it should not be blamed for what users post because of a law called Section 230 of the Communications Act of 1934. This law protects social media companies against what users post. But courts are starting to look at whether Meta’s design is unsafe, not just what people post on Facebook.

In March 2026, a jury in California found Meta and YouTube negligent in a case involving a young person’s use of Instagram and YouTube. A jury awarded a 20-year-old woman, identified only as K.G.M., $4.2 million from Meta and another $1.8 million from YouTube for mental health distress she blamed on the companies’ apps.

How Facebook’s design keeps people coming back

If you found yourself checking Facebook often or struggling to stop, the lawsuits claim this was intentional. The lawsuits highlight Facebook features that make it hard to stop using the app.

Features Alleged to Cause Addictive Behavior
  • Endless News Feed
  • Likes
  • Stories

Internal documents, detailed in social media legal briefs, indicate Meta knew Facebook had addictive qualities since at least the summer of 2017.

Who Qualifies for a Facebook Lawsuit? Kids, Young Adults and Adults

You or a family member might qualify for a Facebook mental health lawsuit if you used Facebook a lot when you were younger and were later diagnosed and treated for a condition you think the platform caused or made worse.

Who Qualifies for a Facebook Mental Health Lawsuit
  • Used Facebook daily for three or more hours
  • Started using Facebook between the ages 5 and 17
  • Are now 25 or younger
  • Diagnosed with a mental health condition, including: body dysmorphia, depression, eating disorders, self-harm-related injury, severe anxiety, or other documented mental-health harm

For minors, a parent or guardian usually files the claim. However, many young adults can file on their own. Losses might include therapy costs, missed work, lost income and other harm related to a diagnosed condition. Rules about age and deadlines vary by state and situation, so getting a free case review from Consumer Notice can help you find out if you have a claim.

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Mental Health Harms Linked to Facebook — and How to Recognize Them

Using Facebook frequently doesn’t always mean it caused a health problem. But if someone has symptoms that worsened as they used Facebook more, and a doctor diagnosed and treated them, it might be related.

Mental Health Conditions Associated With Facebook
Anxiety:
Feeling very worried, scared or nervous for a long time. Your body might feel tense, your breathing might get fast and your heart might beat quickly.
Body dysmorphia and eating disorders:
Social media often makes people feel worse about their bodies by showing unrealistic beauty standards and encouraging comparisons with others. Content that focuses on appearance or supports eating disorders can add pressure to lose weight or change habits, which may increase the risk of disordered eating.
Depression:
Feeling very sad or hopeless for a long time may mean a person is struggling with depression. It can make you want to be alone, sleep or eat more or less than usual, feel tired, lose interest in things you liked or have trouble paying attention. A University of Pennsylvania study found that limiting Facebook and other social media use to 30 minutes a day led to a significant improvement in well-being.
Self-harm and suicidal thoughts:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that students who used social media more often were more likely to be bullied at school and online and to face some risk of self-harm, such as thinking about or planning suicide. These feelings are serious, and you should get help right away from a trusted adult or professional.

The CDC reported in 2024 that teens who use social media are more likely to feel sad or hopeless. Girls and LGBQ+ teens were at higher risk. About half of girls and 1 in 3 LGBQ+ teens who used social media often felt this way.

If you or someone you know needs help right away or is thinking about self-harm, call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free and always open.

What's Happening in Court Right Now

Meta is among several social media companies facing lawsuits over claims that their platforms harmed young people’s mental health. Some cases have resulted in major settlements and verdicts, including a $6 million verdict against Meta and YouTube and a $27 million settlement with a Kentucky school district, with Meta paying $9 million. These cases could shape other social media lawsuits, including claims involving Facebook.

Federal cases are coordinated in MDL 3047 in Northern California. California state-court cases are similarly coordinated through Judicial Council Coordination Proceeding (JCCP) 5255.

Latest Facebook & Social Media Lawsuit Updates

  • August 26, 2026
    Meta, which owns Facebook, agreed to settle lawsuits with 47 states, the District of Columbia and several U.S. territories after government concerns about youth safety, addictive design and child privacy. The proposed settlement could include payments of up to $17.1 billion to the states and other jurisdictions. In addition, Meta promises steps to improve safety for teenagers. The deal still needs court approval, does not create a fund for individuals and will not stop private Facebook lawsuits.
  • August 18, 2026:
    A group of 29 states began a federal trial accusing Meta of designing Facebook and Instagram in ways that harmed young users' mental health. The trial could lead to financial penalties and changes to the platforms, but it is a state-led case, not an individual Facebook mental health lawsuit. However, it is taking place in the same federal court and is presided over by the same federal judge as the social media harm MDL.
  • August 10, 2026:
    A U.S. appeals court ruled that more than 3,000 lawsuits against Meta and other social media companies can move forward. These cases claim the platforms are addictive for young users. The court also rejected Meta and TikTok's attempt to use federal law to block the lawsuits, so the cases will continue.
  • August 6, 2026:
    New Mexico has ordered Meta to pay $567 million into a fund for teen mental health and to change how Facebook and Instagram operate for young users. The state's attorney general brought this case, not an individual, and it is separate from federal lawsuits involving individual plaintiffs.
  • May 29, 2026:
    A school district in Kentucky reached a $27 million settlement with Meta and several other social media companies after claims that their platforms caused mental health problems for students. Meta paid $9 million, but none of the companies admitted fault or agreed to change their platforms. This case was seen as an early example for similar lawsuits from other school districts now grouped together in a federal court in California.
  • March 25, 2026:
    A Los Angeles jury ordered Meta to pay $4.2 million and Google $1.8 million after finding both companies negligent in the design of Instagram and YouTube for young users. The case involved a single plaintiff and served as a bellwether, or test case, for thousands of similar lawsuits.
  • October 6, 2022:
    The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation combined 28 social media mental health lawsuits against Meta and other companies into MDL 3047, in the Northern District of California and assigned the case to Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers.
  • September 15, 2022:
    California courts initiate what will become JCCP 5255 in Los Angeles County Superior Court. This is a consolidated state litigation that will mirror MDL 3047 in federal court, handling lawsuits claiming Facebook and other social media platforms caused adolescent addiction and personal injuries.

How to File a Facebook Mental Health Lawsuit

If heavy use of Facebook has resulted in a diagnosed mental-health condition, a lawyer could examine the facts and determine if you have a case. To begin a claim, you would need to provide information showing the timeline of Facebook use, the symptoms, the diagnosis and the treatment.

Four Steps To File a Facebook Lawsuit

Request a free case review.
Complete the free Consumer Notice case review form. There is no cost to you. An experienced Facebook mental health lawyer will review your information to see whether you have a case. If you do, they will contact you to discuss next steps. However, you are under no obligation to proceed if you don't wish to.
Gather available records.
Retain all Facebook usernames or account information, all records of Facebook use, and documents relating to any diagnosis or treatment. This includes notes from therapists, doctors or counselors. These records will show the times and extent of your or your child's Facebook use, as well as the treatment received.
Review the fee agreement.
Since most personal injury lawyers usually work on a contingency fee basis, you typically won't have to pay anything unless you win your case. However, read the agreement carefully because court costs and other expenses may be separate.
Submit the file by the relevant deadline.
Statutes of limitations, the legal time limits for filing a lawsuit, vary by state depending on the type of injury and other factors. Should you fail to meet the deadline, it may become impossible for you to file a claim. Consult a lawyer soon to avoid missing your deadline.
Has your child suffered a serious injury after using social media daily or weekly?
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Frequently Asked Questions

Facebook and Instagram are both part of the same group of lawsuits that say their designs have caused compulsive use and mental health problems. In March 2026, a verdict focused on Instagram and YouTube, not Facebook, and therefore did not find that Facebook caused harm. Lawsuits involving Facebook are still moving forward in federal court.
While there have been other social media lawsuit settlements, terms and amounts have been kept confidential. There is no set payout for Facebook mental health lawsuits, and no amount is guaranteed. The value of an individual claim may depend on the person's condition, treatment, evidence linking the harm to Facebook, financial losses and state law. Settlements in other cases do not determine individual Facebook settlements.
Yes. Every state has a statute of limitations that sets a deadline for filing a lawsuit. The deadline for a Facebook mental health lawsuit can vary based on the state, type of claim, the person's age and when the harm was discovered.
You do not have to live in California to file a Facebook mental health lawsuit. Federal social media cases are coordinated there in MDL No. 3047, but cases from other states can be included and may return to their original courts if they go to trial.

Please seek the advice of a qualified professional before making decisions about your health or finances.

Terry Turner
Written By Terry Turner Senior Writer

Terry Turner has been writing articles and producing news broadcasts for more than 30 years. An Emmy-winning journalist, he has reported on consumer policy issues before Congress, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Food and Drug Administration and other federal agencies.

Renée Deveney
Edited By Renée Deveney Senior Content Editor
Whitney Ray Di Bona, Esquire
Reviewed By Whitney Ray Di Bona, Esquire Attorney & Consumer Safety Advocate

Consumernotice.org adheres to the highest ethical standards for content production and references only credible sources of information, including government reports, interviews with experts, highly regarded nonprofit organizations, peer-reviewed journals, court records and academic organizations. You can learn more about our dedication to relevance, accuracy and transparency by reading our editorial policy.

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