Facebook Addiction Lawsuits

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Social media giants like Meta Platforms, Inc. (Facebook’s parent company) rake in billions annually by using intricate digital algorithms designed to captivate and even addict users. Regrettably, many vulnerable demographics, including children and teens, have experienced serious harm from their Facebook experiences. If you or a loved one has been injured due to addiction to Facebook or other harm caused by the social media platform, you may have grounds for a Facebook lawsuit. 

At Lawsuit Legal News, our mission is to provide up-to-date information about pending lawsuits against Facebook and help individuals who are seeking justice for Facebook's harms.

Why You Can Trust Lawsuit Legal News for Facebook Lawsuit Information

The legal team behind Lawsuit Legal News (LLN) consists of seasoned professionals with decades of experience protecting injured clients in mass tort, class action, and other nationwide legal claims. With more than 120 years of combined experience, we have successfully resolved personal injury lawsuits and claims in excess of $400 million.

We have our finger on the pulse of current events and legal movements, including a potential Facebook class-action lawsuit. We know many Facebook users are experiencing serious medical and mental health issues as a result of social media use, and we want to help. 

If you or a loved one was injured by addiction to Facebook or its algorithm, turn to a compassionate social media lawyer on the LLN team for true information and real answers. We offer free consultations to help you understand your legal rights and whether you can bring a Facebook lawsuit.

You Need a Firm With Prior Mass Tort Experience

If you are considering bringing a legal claim against a tech giant, you need to have a team of seasoned legal professionals on your side. LLN boasts a wealth of experience in handling complex cases, which makes us fierce advocates for your rights in a potential Facebook lawsuit.

Negotiating a Facebook settlement claim demands a deep understanding of social media law and its application to different legal scenarios. Whether your case involves pursuing a Facebook class-action lawsuit, engaging in multidistrict litigation (MDL), or presenting intricate expert testimony, our skilled team of mass tort attorneys is ready to protect your interests.

Updates on Social Media Addiction Lawsuit

Read below for updates on the Social Media Addiction MDL Lawsuit against Meta, Snap, TikTok, Discord, and other social media companies.

May 27, 2024 - Selection of Bellwether Cases

In the federal Social Media Addiction MDL, both sides have now made their picks for which cases they want to be chosen for the bellwether trials. Next month, June 2024, the Court will randomly select 24 bellwether cases. After they are selected, there will be many hearings and disputes over which cases will ultimately be chosen for trial, which is set to begin in June 2025.

In the meantime, the parties continue to identify relevant witnesses and negotiate with each other over the documents they need to prove or dispute the allegations.  

May 16, 2024 - Joint Status Report Over Discovery Released

In the Joint Status Report for the May 16, 2024, Discovery Management Conference, the progress and ongoing disputes in the discovery process were addressed. The key issues discussed include disagreements over the scope of discovery, relevant time periods, and the transparency of social media platforms. The parties have continued to negotiate and submit joint letter briefs to solve these disputes while both parties prepare for upcoming depositions.

April 28, 2024 - Motion To Dismiss Denied

In a recent hearing, Judge Gonzalez Rogers expressed skepticism about Meta and other social media companies' requests to dismiss the social media addiction MDL. The judge criticized the companies for lacking transparency about their platform designs, which is imperative before the Court can rule to dismiss the many claims. Judge Gonzalez Rogers suggested that the plaintiffs' claims, including those from state attorneys general from 34 different states, are plausible enough to proceed at this stage.

April 16, 2024 - Zuckerberg Cleared of Liability

Mark Zuckerberg has been cleared of personal liability in about two dozen lawsuits alleging that Meta Platforms Inc. and other social media companies knowingly caused children to become addicted to their platforms or knew about it and did nothing to stop it. Judge Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Zuckerberg does not have a special duty to disclose safety information about Facebook and Instagram’s risks to children without a direct relationship with the users. Though this ruling is a bit disappointing, it doesn't affect the overall MDL's progress or the plaintiffs' litigation strategy.

March 26, 2024 - California Judge Delays Decision Over State's Suing in Social Media MDL

A federal judge in California has postponed ruling on whether the claims brought by individual states in the social media addiction MDL should go in front of a jury. The Judge likely made this decision so they can wait for the outcome of the U.S. Supreme Court’s case, SEC v. Jarkesy.

SEC v. Jarkesy addresses the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) authority to bring charges of securities fraud before administrative law judges (ALJs) instead of a federal district court. Jarkesy argues this violated his Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial and was an unconstitutional delegation of power by Congress to the SEC. This case has big implications for how certain federal issues are handled and whether they go through full court proceedings or not. SCOTUS has not released its ruling yet.

February 26, 2024 - Judge Implies Social Media Addiction Could Be Similar To Tobacco Addiction

Judge Gonzalez Rogers recently expressed some skepticism about dismissing claims against Mark Zuckerberg as an individual; he is named in some lawsuits in addition to his companies. It's important not to overinterpret an off-hand comment by the judge, but it was also hard to miss, with many news outlets reporting on it. Here's what happened.

While discussing the issue of addiction to social media platforms and Mark Zuckerberg's past comments about the safety of social media, Zuckerberg’s attorney argued that the plaintiffs hadn't brought sufficient evidence to prove negligence, and they also hadn't shown that social media users would've changed their behavior if they had been warned about the addictive nature of social media. Users continuing to engage with the platform, he argued, contradicts claims of reliance and injury due to the alleged addictive design.

In response, one of the plaintiffs' lawyers' said that users of these platforms—and users of all products—rely on the company owners to warn people when something is addictive. He said that the case is about users who are so addicted to social media platforms that even if they had been warned, they likely would have continued using the platforms anyway.

Judge Gonzales Rogers then suggested that both parties review similar cases related to tobacco products, where users understood the dangers of a product but kept using it because of their addiction. 

“I have defendants who come in here every week who are ordered not to use meth or fentanyl," she said. "And they’re trying, but it’s hard."

The judge also pointed out that about 70% of children named in the lawsuits began using social media platforms at age 12.

“Yes, they may be adults now, but they were children when it started,” she said. “None of this is going to be looked at in a vacuum.”

This comment could mean that the judge may view the social media addiction claims on a similar level of seriousness as past tobacco lawsuits. If that is indeed her sentiment, it could show the court's willingness to really investigate the complexities of addiction and liability in age of social media.

However, Lawsuit Legal News, you, or anyone else, should take the Judge's comment about addiction, tobacco, or children to mean anything about this lawsuit's outcome. She could very well throw out the federal case at any moment.

During the hearing, the Judge asked that each side provide cases from each state upon which they believe the claim for negligent misrepresentation either exists or does not exist so the Court can get an understanding of each side's evidence.

The next court date is March 21 to discuss the discovery of evidence. 

February 12, 2024 - New Dates Revealed in the Social Media MDL Schedule

Judge Gonzalez Rogers has revealed the first bellwether trials in the social media addiction MDL are scheduled for late 2025; we do not know the exact date. Jury selection for the bellwether trials, however, will begin on October 14, 2025, which gives us some idea. There is a lengthy process that needs to be completed before bellwether trials can begin, which will happen over the next 9-12 months until they begin.

February 9, 2024 - Questions Over School Districts and Local Governments Suing Social Media Companies Continue

The legal teams for Snap, Meta, and other social media companies have asked the Judge to dismiss claims by school districts and local governments that are currently part of the MDL. The companies argue these claims are barred by the First Amendment and Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (which protects internet companies from liability based on what third parties post on their platforms).

And I will be the first to agree that Section 230 is an extremely important piece of law that allows all of us Americans to have freedom of speech. Without Section 230, social platforms would all shut down because of litigation, and the American voice would be silenced like never before. However, the lawsuits we are discussing and the entire point of this article and the MDL in general are focused on the harmful product design of the platforms, not third-party content.

The Judge has not ruled on this yet. They have, however, ruled that the New Mexico attorney general’s lawsuit against Meta—accusing the company of facilitating child sexual abuse through Facebook and Instagram—will be moved back to state court since the claims are rooted in state law, not federal law.

January 31, 2024 - Zuckerberg Apologies to Families During Senate Hearing

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg expressed regret at a recent Senate hearing that got heated over Instagram and Facebook's policies that have led to teenagers getting addicted, harming themselves, or committing suicide. During an intense line of questioning from a Senator, Mr. Zuckerberg stood up and turned around to face the families in attendance who have lost children to what they believe was suicide caused by social media. He then apologized directly to the families as they held up pictures of their dead children.

January 30, 2024 - Concerns Over Trial Schedule Grow

During a case management conference this week, Judge Gonzalez Rogers indicated she would likely deny two requests from lawyers for the social media companies that sought quick decisions and the exclusion of plaintiff’s causation experts, labeling these requests premature.

She also emphasized that she has planned an aggressive trial schedule with dates set for 2025.

However, there is a significant difference between the plaintiffs and the defendants when it comes to the social media addiction litigation's schedule and speed. The plaintiffs have proposed an aggressive timeline, with fact discovery wrapped up by November 2024 and expert discovery concluded by March 2025. The defense has suggested a much slower pace and later deadlines; they want fact discovery to close in February 2026 and expert discovery to close in July 2026. That is a very wide gap

Plaintiffs also want to set a date to start selecting bellwether trials (specific cases used like test cases to get a feel for how the jury will rule and how the case goes in general). The defendants believe it’s too soon to address bellwether trials.

Nonetheless, one thing is clear, Judge Gonzalez Rogers does not plan on allowing the Meta, ByteDance, or any other defendant to drag this case out. She wants to move the cases forward quickly, with a trial set for 2025.

January 25, 2024 - Requests for Production Begin

Plaintiffs have served hundreds of Requests for Production (RFPs) to defendants in the social media class action lawsuit, focusing on various issues, including product features, health concerns, and marketing strategies.

A deposition has also been scheduled to discuss what happens after the deletion of a user account.

November 2, 2023 - Plaintiff Leadership Considerations Have Some Unique Challenges in Social Media MDL

Several firms and attorneys are pushing for leadership positions in the social media addiction MDL. Certain firms are arguing that their needs to be equal representation on the plaintiff leadership committee since all of the lawsuits are not just a single individual suing a company. Some of the plaintiffs are school districts and even local governments, which means that they will need special representation to address the unique legal challenges created when an educational or governmental entity sues a giant international conglomerate.

This is going to create a really interesting lawsuit, and there is still plenty of time for other plaintiffs to join the case. So, who knows who we may see enter the fight?

January 2, 2023 - All Social Media Addictions Cases To Be Included in MDL

The JPML, which ruled that all social media addiction cases would be combined into an MDL, has now ordered that lawsuits against any social media company involving allegations of teen addiction and harm will be in the Northern District of California MDL. This means that the MDL will include cases against all social media platforms that have claims of addiction and/or youth harm lodged against them. Although 70% of these cases are against Meta (Instagram and Facebook), this ruling will now include Byte Dance (TikTok), Snap Inc. (Snapchat), and other social platforms facing similar allegations.

These social media addiction lawsuits are a new frontier in litigation in America and worldwide. We have never dealt with these issues before as a society. Social media has only been around for 20 years, and it's likely only in the last decade that these companies realized they could manipulate their users for money. So this is uncharted territory, to say the least.

Because of this, these allegations fall into a new and unique legal arena. This means that the lawsuits are likely to sink or swim based on whether the plaintiffs can present sufficient scientific evidence to avoid preemptive dismissal of the cases.

The creation of the MDL will be a big help for the plaintiffs so that they can pool their resources and find (and pay for) the best possible experts in the world to prove their claims.

October 13, 2022 - The Social Media Addiction Lawsuits Are Now Consolidates in an MDL

It's official, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) has decided to centralize all social media addiction cases into a multidistrict litigation (MDL). The new MDL—officially titled Social Media Adolescent Addiction/Personal Injury Product Liability Litigation – MDL No. 304—has been assigned to the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. An MDL occurs when a panel of judges agrees that a large number of cases have the same common complaints against the same defendant. This will allow all the pre-trial issues, motions, and discovery concerns to be settled in the social media addiction cases all at once, and then later, settlements or trials will be separately.

Why Might Facebook Be Liable for Injuring Users?

Many social media lawsuits assert that Facebook engineered a digital world full of algorithms strategically crafted to draw in young users, extend their time online, and addict them to the platform. Since Facebook derives a significant portion of its revenue from online advertising, it has a vested interest in keeping users engaged, often at the expense of their well-being.

Studies of social media usage reveal that the average user spends approximately 151 minutes per day online—a figure that has steadily increased since 2012. Moreover, a staggering 90 percent of teenagers spend an average of three hours daily on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.

In the broader context, American users collectively spend just over two hours daily on social media platforms. This prolonged exposure exposes individuals, particularly impressionable young people whose cognitive faculties and self-perception are still evolving, to a barrage of harmful content, ranging from misinformation and cyberbullying to attacks on their self-esteem.

What Are the Theories Raised in Facebook Lawsuit Claims?

In several Facebook lawsuits, plaintiffs have alleged that the platform's algorithms manipulate how content is presented to create feelings of inadequacy and worsen mental health issues among users.

One common assertion in Facebook lawsuits is that the platform's algorithms prioritize and feature irresistible content to younger people, often portraying an unrealistic portrayal of wealth, beauty, and success. This curated content stream can distort teen’s perceptions, leading to feelings of inadequacy or failure to meet societal standards.

Moreover, the flood of social media content has been linked to adverse mental health problems. Plaintiffs in Facebook lawsuits argue that excessive exposure to the platform's content can create and worsen mental health issues, particularly among younger users.

One notable Facebook lawsuit alleges that Meta Platforms and affiliated companies knowingly promote "controversial, disturbing, negative, and emotionally charged" content, which contributes to physical and emotional harm, especially among vulnerable demographics. 

Citing research, the complaint underscores how social media facilitates cyberbullying and correlates with various health issues such as obesity, sleep deprivation, and eating disorders in children. Furthermore, the lawsuit contends that social media usage is associated with elevated risks of depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide.

Would Facebook Harm Children on Purpose?

Of course, Facebook’s CEO denies all wrongdoing on the part of his wildly profitable company. However, many people have argued that Facebook's business goal is to prioritize user engagement and entertainment, even at the expense of their well-being. 

The platform's revenue model hinges on advertising, which is tailored to individual user behaviors. In one recent fiscal year, Facebook reported nearly $70 billion in ad revenue, showing how companies can reap immense financial gains from user data analysis. And Facebook particularly targets the younger demographics with micro-targeted advertisements to keep kids engaged longer.

With each interaction, Facebook gathers a wealth of user data, further adding to its profit margins. Plaintiffs in Facebook lawsuits contend that the platform uses sophisticated algorithms and artificial intelligence to exploit human psychology, prioritizing its financial gain over user safety and mental well-being. 

Which Legal Theories Have Been Raised in Lawsuits Against Facebook?

In ongoing lawsuits against Facebook, plaintiffs have advanced several key legal theories, including:

Failure to Warn

One of the foundational claims in Facebook lawsuits alleges that the platform failed to adequately warn users, particularly minors and their parents, about the potential mental, emotional, and physical risks associated with using Facebook.

Design Defect

Plaintiffs argue that Facebook's design contains inherent defects that can harm users, especially minors. They contend that reasonable changes could reduce these risks, but Facebook has failed to implement them.

Negligence

Lawsuits allege that Facebook and its parent company, Meta, were aware or should have been aware of the potential harm posed by the platform's algorithms and design. Despite this knowledge, the companies failed to take adequate measures to minimize user risks. These injured plaintiffs argue that the companies prioritize profit over user safety, fostering addictive behavior and prolonged usage despite understanding the product's potential dangers.

Manufacturing Defect

This theory claims that Facebook developers deviated from the original product design, resulting in a final product that poses a greater danger to users than intended. Plaintiffs claim that these deviations have led to severe harm or even fatalities among users.

Fraud

Plaintiffs assert that Meta and Facebook used deceptive advertising, marketing, and promotion to portray the platform as safe while concealing its inherent dangers. Despite being aware of the risks posed to users' mental and emotional well-being, the companies allegedly hid this information, creating a hazardous environment for users.

What Injuries Have Been Linked to Facebook Use?

Once users become addicted to the allure of Facebook, excessive use can lead to a range of harmful outcomes.

Reports have identified the following potential injuries associated with prolonged and addictive Facebook use:

• Depression and Anxiety: Prolonged exposure to social media can worsen feelings of depression and anxiety, particularly among vulnerable individuals.
• Self-Harm: Some users may resort to self-harming behaviors due to distress or negative experiences encountered on the platform.
• Eating Disorders: Trying to achieve the unattainable body standards promoted on Facebook can contribute to the development of eating disorders, with severe cases leading to death.
• Body Dysmorphia: The constant comparison to societally perfect images on Facebook may distort users' perceptions of their own bodies, leading to body dysmorphia and related psychological distress.
• Violence: Exposure to violent or harmful content on Facebook can desensitize users and contribute to the normalization of violent behaviors.
• Insomnia: Excessive use of Facebook, particularly before bedtime, can disrupt sleep patterns and contribute to insomnia.
• Suicide: Tragically, the platform's addictive nature and exposure to harmful content have been linked to increased suicide rates among certain user demographics.
• Other Mental Health Conditions: Conditions such as ADHD and difficulty concentrating may be exacerbated by excessive Facebook use, further compromising users' mental well-being.
• Headaches and Migraines: Prolonged screen time and exposure to blue light emitted by devices can trigger headaches and migraines in susceptible individuals.
• Vision Issues: Extended periods of staring at screens can result in eye strain and other vision-related problems.

Current lawsuits against Meta and Facebook allege that the companies were aware of these potential harms but chose not to warn users or make algorithmic changes to reduce these risks. Instead, Facebook purportedly modified its platform to increase user addiction and prolong engagement, prioritizing profit over user well-being.

Who Qualifies for Facebook Addiction Lawsuit?

Parents who have teens who have suffered significant injuries or lost their lives due to Facebook may qualify for a social media addiction lawsuit. Facebook (and other social media platforms) are designed to be engaging and can lead some users to addiction. This can result in various mental and physical health issues.

The following list outlines the specific criteria and conditions that may make you eligible to file a Facebook Addiction Lawsuit.

• Addiction/Compulsive Use: Individuals who have developed a compulsive use of social media, leading to harm to yourself or others.
• Eating Disorders: Individuals who have developed anorexia, bulimia, binge, or other eating disorders due to exposure to unrealistic body standards on social media.
• Depression or Anxiety: Individuals experiencing severe depression or anxiety due to constant comparison with others, cyberbullying, or exposure to harmful content on social media.
• Self-Harm: Individuals (or the parents of an individual) who have experienced self-harm due to Facebook may be eligible for a lawsuit. This includes:
  • Suicidality: Individuals who have developed suicidal thoughts from exposure to content related to suicide or from online communities discussing self-harm.
  • Attempted Suicide: Those influenced to attempt suicide due to the glorification or normalization of such actions on social media.
  • Death by Suicide: Families of individuals who have taken their own lives due to exposure to suicidal content or cyberbullying on social media.
  • Other Self-Harm: Individuals engaging in self-harm behavior influenced by social media content or as a coping mechanism for distress from online interactions, including cutting, trichotillomania (pulling out one's own hair), eating disorders, etc.
• Child Sex Abuse or Abuse Material: Victims of child sexual abuse from a predator online or from the sharing of explicit content on social media.

If you or your child have experienced any of these issues due to Facebook or social media use, you may be eligible to file a lawsuit. It's important to consult with a qualified mass tort attorney to discuss your specific circumstances and explore your legal options.

Case Acceptance Criteria

Please note that we are not accepting cases related to losing access to Facebook or being locked out of your account. Our focus is exclusively on cases involving significant mental or physical harm caused by social media. Specifically, we are only accepting cases from parents whose children have been mentally or physically harmed by Facebook, or from adults who experienced such harm as children. If your situation meets these criteria, please reach out to us for further assistance.

What Compensation Can You Request in a Facebook Lawsuit?

Similar to other personal injury claims and lawsuits, the amount of compensation (known as legal damages) each person may receive will vary. Your Facebook lawsuit value will depend on the type of injury you or your loved one suffered and the extent of the related financial losses you incurred. 

To learn more about how much you can request for your specific situation, reach out to one of the social media lawyers on the LLN team today.

In more general terms, the possible legal damages an injured person could request in a Facebook lawsuit claim might include:

• All medical costs related to your Facebook injuries
• All lost income, wages, benefits, and other sources of money related to missing work because of medical care or because you cannot work after suffering a Facebook injury
• Pain and suffering related to your injuries and financial losses
• The reduction in your life enjoyment as a result of Facebook usage
• If a court finds that Facebook acted intentionally and/or egregiously to harm you, punitive damages might be available

Calculating the value of your unique losses is a complicated process. At LLN, we want to ensure you receive a fair amount of compensation in your Facebook settlement claim. That’s why it’s important to partner with one of the skilled Facebook lawsuit lawyers associated with LLN.

Our skilled social media lawyers know how to challenge multi-million dollar corporations like Facebook and Meta. Our team won’t back down, and we offer the resources you’ll need to go head-to-head with these giants that put profit before user safety. 

Can You File a Facebook Lawsuit?

Bringing a personal injury claim, especially against a corporate giant, requires building a strong legal case supported by solid evidence to justify your right to receive fair compensation. When you are facing medical treatment or caring for your child who needs emotional or physical help after a Facebook-related injury, most people don’t have the energy or strength to gather evidence and build a strong legal claim.

This is when the experienced social media lawyers associated with Lawsuit Legal News can help.

We can compile important documents and information to support your Facebook lawsuit claim, such as: 

• Proof that you or your loved one used Facebook
• Documentation of diagnoses and/or prognoses of medical or psychological conditions related to social media addiction
• A calculation of the total cost of medical care already incurred and expected in the future to treat the condition(s) 
• A total for current and projected income loss
• An evaluation of the intangible losses like pain and suffering and loss of the ongoing enjoyment of your life

We can guarantee that Facebook and Meta have extensive legal teams that are paid very well to defend legal claims. To bring a successful Facebook lawsuit, you need a sophisticated and tenacious legal team in your corner to fight the corporate lawyers, challenge the insurance companies, and protect your legal rights every step of the way. Trust the team at LLN to have your back.

Yes, You Can Afford to File a Facebook Lawsuit

The compassionate legal team behind Lawsuit Legal News always takes on social media claims using a contingency fee basis. In other words, you won’t have to pay anything upfront, not even for an initial, no-obligation consultation where you can ask any questions and learn more about your options. Then, if you choose to work with the LLN team, you won’t pay any attorney’s fees until they resolve your Facebook lawsuit claim and put money in your pocket.

The lawyers who support LLN can explain more about your specific legal options, how to begin, and answer any other questions during your free, confidential consultation. With several office locations nationwide, you can meet in person or set up a virtual meeting at your convenience.

Considering a Facebook Lawsuit? The Lawsuit Legal News Team Can Help

If Facebook has harmed you or a loved one, you may be able to file a Facebook lawsuit to recoup the compensation you deserve. Reach out to the experienced social media harm attorneys associated with LLN to share your story and learn more. We can explain the legal process and discuss your right to receive compensation for your Facebook injuries.

Complete our online contact form today or dial (866) 535-9515 for your free consultation. Let us put our vast experience to work for you. Reach out today.