Recent developments in social media addiction lawsuits show a sharp rise in legal claims targeting major platforms. Roblox Corp. has been added to the multidistrict litigation (MDL), with allegations that a child’s compulsive use of Roblox and Snapchat caused serious personal and mental health issues. A judge denied TikTok’s request to access forensic images from plaintiffs’ devices, citing privacy protections. Meanwhile, new wrongful death and individual lawsuits continue to highlight the real-world mental health consequences of social media use. The MDL currently includes 499 cases, with the first bellwether trial scheduled for October 2025. Additionally, the U.S. Surgeon General has called for warning labels on social media platforms, reflecting growing concern over the risks of digital addiction and spurring regulatory attention.

Social Media Addiction Class Action Lawsuit Updates: December 2025

• December 2025: The MDL has grown to 499 cases, with Roblox Corp. added to the litigation. Allegations include addiction to Roblox and Snapchat causing severe personal harm. TikTok’s request for forensic images of plaintiffs’ devices was denied due to privacy concerns.
• November 4, 2025: 100 new cases added in October, bringing total pending lawsuits to 2,172.
• October 2, 2025: The docket reached 2,053 cases, with a focus on filing stronger claims for bellwether selection. Longer statutes of limitations for minors allow additional filings.
• September 18, 2025: Dispute over first bellwether trial location; plaintiffs proposed Tucson Unified School District, while defendants argued for New Jersey or Harford County.
• September 15, 2025: MDL case count nears 2,000, with weaker claims held back to strengthen bellwether trials.
• September 12, 2025: FTC opens inquiry into AI chatbots (Meta, Google, OpenAI) for potential child safety risks.
• September 10, 2025: Meta accused of ignoring VR abuse reports; deleted evidence raised concerns about platform accountability.
• September 2, 2025: First MDL trials to involve school districts; state court trials in California expected in late 2025, federal bellwethers in 2026.
• August 24, 2025: Ninth Circuit blocks Meta’s discovery tactic, preserving momentum for plaintiffs.
• July 28, 2025: Judge signals likely two-track bellwether trials: liability/damages first, injunctive relief second.
• July 17, 2025: California JCCP to host first bellwether trial; jury selection scheduled for November 19, 2025.
• July 1, 2025: MDL filings climb to 1,867 cases, alleging addictive platform designs and failure to warn.
• June 18, 2025: Six school districts selected for initial bellwether trials; five individual plaintiff cases also identified.
• June 11, 2025: Federal court hearings scheduled, including case management and motions to preclude.
• June 9, 2025: Court denies defendants’ motion to compel Tucson Unified School District to release detailed narrative data.
• May 16, 2025: Ohio family files lawsuit on behalf of 16-year-old child; claims include Instagram and Snapchat addiction causing depression, anxiety, and self-harm.
• May 6, 2025: Magistrate judge upholds therapist-patient privilege, denying access to privileged therapy records.
• May 5, 2025: MDL case count slightly decreases to 1,787 due to duplicates or improper filings.
• April 17, 2025: Meta and California agency coordinate on document production with confidentiality protections.
• April 10, 2025: Georgia family files social media addiction suicide lawsuit; claims platforms intentionally addictive and unregulated for youth.
• April 1, 2025: MDL grows with 281 new cases in March, totaling 1,745.
• March 31, 2025: California family files new lawsuit alleging severe psychological harm to their minor child.
• March 18, 2025: First bellwether trial date set; status conference scheduled for March 21, 2025.
• March 7, 2025: Illinois family files lawsuit alleging addiction, depression, anxiety, self-harm, and eating disorders due to social media platforms.
• March 6, 2025: Judge allows negligence and wrongful death claims to proceed, rejecting First Amendment and Section 230 defenses.
• March 5, 2025: MDL grows with 212 new cases in February, totaling 1,464.
• March 4, 2025: Meta found immune from sex trafficking lawsuit under Section 230.
• February 26, 2025: Kansas family files new lawsuit alleging addiction, depression, anxiety, and self-harm.
• February 21, 2025: Court issues rulings on motions for early appeals and Section 230 applicability.
• February 14, 2025: Judge denies Google and Snap’s appeal requests.
• February 8, 2025: Magistrate orders unsealing of court document, promoting transparency.
• February 4, 2025: MDL adds 252 new cases, totaling 1,246, averaging 200+ per month.
• January 23, 2025: Partial sealing of Meta executive deposition issued to balance transparency and privacy.
• January 21, 2025: New York plaintiff files lawsuit alleging addictive design caused depression, anxiety, and self-harm.
• January 14, 2025: California judge allows social media lawsuits to proceed, rejecting attempts to dismiss failure-to-warn claims.
• January 6, 2025: Discovery order issued addressing YouTube policies and youth safety.
• January 5, 2025: Meta seeks to halt insurers’ coverage dispute over addictive platform lawsuits.
• January 3, 2025: MDL adds 159 new cases from December, totaling 974.
• Dec 17, 2024: A Texas family files a lawsuit against Meta, Snap, TikTok, and Google, alleging severe mental health injuries in their two adolescent children due to addictive platform features.
• Dec 16, 2024: Previously scheduled October 2025 bellwether trial postponed.
• Dec 14, 2024: Next case management conference scheduled for January 17, 2025.
• Dec 13, 2024: Magistrate orders Meta to produce additional documents, rejecting limits on personal injury discovery.
• Dec 12, 2024: Court rules a plaintiff’s digital forensic expert may be deposed regarding erased iPhone data, clarifying evidence discoverability.
• Dec 3, 2024: MDL sees record growth with 195 new cases added in November, a 31% increase, bringing total pending cases to 815.
• Nov 19, 2024: North Carolina family files wrongful death lawsuit after 15-year-old boy’s suicide, alleging Instagram addiction.
• Nov 12, 2024: Teen from Fishkill, NY joins MDL, claiming Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube caused anorexia, depression, anxiety, and self-harm.
• Nov 5, 2024: Philadelphia family files suit against Meta, Instagram, TikTok, Snap, and YouTube, alleging severe psychological and physical harm to their child.
• Nov 1, 2024: MDL adds 27 cases in October, total pending cases at 620.
• Oct 22, 2024: Bellwether trial preparations advance; California state court and MDL cases aligning for first trials.
• Oct 19, 2024: Plaintiffs raise concerns over TikTok’s slow and incomplete document production.
• Oct 16, 2024: Judge Rogers rules Meta must face multi-state lawsuits over teen addiction; also denies dismissal motions from Meta, TikTok, YouTube, and Snap in individual personal injury cases.
• Oct 8, 2024: TikTok sued by 13 states and DC over addictive design and misleading moderation practices.
• Oct 1, 2024: MDL sees slowdown with only 10 new cases; total pending cases at 594.
• Sep 28, 2024: MDL includes both governmental entities (states, school districts) and individual plaintiffs.
• Sep 23, 2024: Tentative trial date set for January 2026; pretrial schedule outlined.
• Sep 18, 2024: Instagram enacts default privacy settings for teens, likely in response to ongoing litigation.
• Sep 12, 2024: 42 attorneys general urge Congress for social media warning labels; echoes Surgeon General’s recommendations.
• Sep 5 & Aug 26, 2024: Plaintiffs and defendants request extensions to finalize electronic discovery search term negotiations.
• Sep 3, 2024: MDL sees surge with 67 new cases in August; total pending cases at 584.
• 2023–2024 Earlier Updates

• Dec 2023–Aug 2023: MDL steadily grows, with 18 new cases added in August 2023, totaling 517 pending lawsuits.
• Jul 15, 2023: Roblox named as defendant in MDL over alleged addiction, sexual abuse risk, and depression of a 13-year-old.

2024 Mid-Year Highlights

• Mar 2024: Pretrial schedule issued to select first bellwether trials.
• Jul 12, 2024: Judge denies TikTok’s request for forensic images of plaintiffs’ devices, citing privacy concerns.
• Jul 11, 2024: Wrongful death lawsuit filed for a 17-year-old Missouri girl, alleging addiction to Snapchat and TikTok leading to self-harm and suicide.
• Jul 8, 2024: MDL adds 24 new cases, total pending 499; first bellwether trial scheduled for October 25, 2025.
• Jul 3, 2024: California case filed by 19-year-old claiming Instagram and Snapchat addiction led to self-harm, depression, and anxiety.
• Jun 21, 2024: Bellwether trial selection to be finalized by February 6, 2025; first trial set for October 25, 2025.
• Jun 17, 2024: Surgeon General recommends mental health warning labels on social media.
• May 31, 2024: Judge orders Meta, Snap, TikTok, and YouTube to disclose detailed user account data.
• May 6, 2024: Oakland County School District files suit alleging platforms increase student depression and anxiety.
• May 1, 2024: MDL lawsuits reach 455 cases.
• Mar 21, 2024: Connecticut teen joins MDL with addiction-related claims.

Social Media Addiction MDL – 2024 Overview

Research Highlights Health Risks: A 2022 study by Alfonso Pellegrino (National Library of Medicine) reviewed social media use from 2013–2022, focusing on Facebook and Instagram. The research identifies risks such as mental health issues, self-harm, and eating disorders. The MDL claims platforms are intentionally addictive and contribute to these harms.

Meta Challenges Information Requests: Represented by Covington & Burling LLP, Meta submitted over 400 pages arguing to limit state attorneys’ information requests. Magistrate Judge Peter H. Kang presided over a three-hour hearing and will issue a written ruling.

MDL Surpasses 400 Lawsuits: Over 400 social media addiction lawsuits have been filed against Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Snapchat operators. These cases are consolidated for pretrial proceedings under U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in the Northern District of California.

Zuckerberg Cleared of Personal Liability: Mark Zuckerberg was dismissed from personal liability in roughly two dozen cases alleging child addiction. Additionally, a motion to dismiss the social media addiction MDL was filed on May 10, 2024.

South Carolina Teen Case: A 19-year-old from Charleston filed a lawsuit claiming addiction to Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok from 2018–2024, resulting in serious mental health issues and a car accident.

Bellwether Trial Selection: Judge Kuhl is set to select 24 representative cases for discovery on June 17, 2024. Any unrepresentative cases will be replaced by June 27, with discovery expected to conclude by December 6, 2024.

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How Social Media Platforms Target Young Users

Have you or your child experienced mental health challenges linked to social media use? You’re not alone. Millions of families nationwide are grappling with the effects of social media addiction, and many are exploring legal options.

Over 90% of teens in the U.S. actively use platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, spending an average of three hours per day online. Instagram alone has more than 57 million users under the age of 18, highlighting the scale of youth exposure.

The concern? Major tech companies have deliberately designed these platforms to maximize engagement. Sophisticated algorithms tap into human psychology, keeping users continuously scrolling. Features are frequently updated and optimized to maintain attention—often at the expense of mental well-being.

Key Companies Involved:

TikTok Inc. / ByteDance Inc. – TikTok

Meta Platforms – Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram

Google LLC

YouTube LLC

Snap Inc. – Snapchat

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The Adolescent Brain: Highly Susceptible to Addiction

Research shows that teenage brains are still maturing, particularly in areas that govern risk assessment, emotional control, and impulse regulation. Social media platforms take advantage of these developmental weaknesses, creating cycles of dopamine-driven highs and lows that can quickly lead to addictive behaviors.

Notifications, likes, and comments trigger bursts of pleasure, but these are often followed by crashes as the brain adjusts to repeated stimulation. Platforms are designed to exploit this pattern, drawing users back repeatedly for another “dopamine hit.” Over time, this cycle can rewire the brain’s reward system, making it increasingly difficult for teens to disengage.

The Profit Motive: Why Addiction Benefits Companies

Social media companies make money based on how long users stay engaged. The more time users spend scrolling, liking, and interacting, the greater the advertising revenue these platforms generate. This creates a troubling conflict of interest: companies are incentivized to make their products addictive, even at the expense of user mental health.

In October 2021, a Facebook whistleblower testified before Congress, revealing that the company was aware of the harm its platforms were causing teens but chose profit over well-being.

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The Consequences of Social Media Addiction: Mental and Physical Harm

A growing body of research—including studies conducted by the social media companies themselves—has highlighted the serious effects of social media addiction on young users.

Depression & Anxiety: Constant comparisons with peers, exposure to cyberbullying, and upsetting content can trigger persistent sadness, hopelessness, and anxiety.

Eating Disorders: Continuous exposure to unrealistic body standards can contribute to or worsen conditions like anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder.

Self-Harm & Suicide: Harmful content, social isolation, and online harassment can lead to self-harming behaviors and suicidal thoughts. Tragically, some teens have died by suicide linked to social media influences.

Other Physical Effects: Addiction to social media can disrupt sleep, strain the eyes, and promote a sedentary lifestyle, all of which can negatively impact overall health.

Legal Claims in Social Media Addiction Lawsuits

Recent multi-district litigation (MDL) targets several major social media companies, alleging that their platforms are inherently defective. The lawsuits claim these companies employ algorithms designed to maximize screen time among adolescents, fostering addictive behaviors that can result in self-harm, mental health struggles, and other harmful consequences.

Parents involved in these cases point to clear signs of addiction, including excessive use, depression, eating disorders, self-harm, and suicidal ideation. The lawsuits argue that social media companies were aware of these dangers yet failed to provide warnings or implement sufficient safeguards to protect vulnerable young users.

The Fight for Justice

Across the country, families are taking legal action to hold social media companies accountable for the harm caused by their addictive platforms.

If you or your child has been affected by social media addiction, you are not alone. Support is available, and you may be eligible for compensation.

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Mass torts vs. class actions at a glance

When discussing mass torts and class action lawsuits, we’re looking at two separate legal strategies designed to manage claims involving numerous individuals harmed by the same company, product, or event.

Mass tort lawsuits handle situations where many people are harmed by the same product, event, or entity, but each individual’s circumstances are unique. Imagine a neighborhood struck by a storm, where every house suffers different damage. In a mass tort, each homeowner files their own lawsuit, yet the court groups the cases together for efficiency since the storm is the shared cause. Importantly, each person keeps control over their case and settlement, ensuring their individual losses and experiences are properly considered.

By contrast, class action lawsuits consolidate many individuals under a single legal case. Think of it like the entire neighborhood suing over the storm together, with one or a few homeowners acting on behalf of everyone. In this setup, individual control is limited—decisions about the case and any settlement are made by the lead plaintiff and their attorneys on behalf of the group

What’s Best for You?

Here’s a quick summary to help you decide which legal approach may suit your situation:

• Control: Mass torts give you more personal control; class actions limit individual decision-making.
• Compensation: Mass torts provide individualized payouts; class actions typically distribute settlements uniformly.
• Applicability: Mass torts work best when damages vary from person to person; class actions are suited for similar or uniform harms.
• Efficiency: Class actions can be faster and less resource-intensive since they combine multiple claims into one.

If you’re considering legal action, think about what matters most to you. Do you want to retain control over your case, or are you comfortable with a representative leading it? Are your damages unique, or similar enough to share a collective claim? Your answers can guide whether a mass tort or class action is the right path.

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