As of October 2026, about 3,800 social media addiction cases are pending in the federal MDL, and thousands more are coordinated in California state court. One jury has found Meta and YouTube negligent, Meta has settled with state attorneys general, and the next Los Angeles trial, against Meta and Snap, is scheduled for October 28, 2026.
The social media addiction litigation moves quickly, and headlines about verdicts, settlements, and trials can be hard to piece together. This page keeps every major development in one place, newest first, so you can see where things stand and how they got here.
We update this timeline as the cases move. The date at the top of the page shows the last update.
How are the social media lawsuits organized?
The cases run on two main tracks. Federal cases are consolidated in MDL 3047 in the Northern District of California before Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. An MDL, or multidistrict litigation, gathers similar lawsuits from around the country in front of one judge for shared pretrial work, while each case remains its own lawsuit.
California state cases are coordinated in JCCP 5255 before Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl in Los Angeles Superior Court. JCCP stands for Judicial Council Coordinated Proceeding, which is California's version of the same idea.
Both courts use bellwether trials, which are early test cases chosen to show how juries respond to the evidence. Separate tracks cover lawsuits by school districts and by state attorneys general. Our explainer on how mass torts differ from class actions covers how these pieces fit together.
2026
October 2026: federal case count reaches 3,824
The federal court's latest report shows 3,824 cases pending in MDL 3047, and new cases continue to be filed.
September 29, 2026: Meta executives ordered to testify
According to legal press reports, Judge Kuhl denied Meta's motion to block testimony at the October trial, meaning Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram head Adam Mosseri are expected to testify.
September 25, 2026: YouTube settles before the October trial
YouTube reached a confidential settlement with S.J. and K.D.B., the two plaintiffs set for the next Los Angeles trial, as reported by the Daily Journal. That leaves Meta and Snap as the remaining defendants. Our article on the October 28 Los Angeles trial covers what that trial involves.
August 28, 2026: two cases combined for one trial
Judge Kuhl ordered that the cases of S.J. and K.D.B. be tried together before a single Los Angeles jury beginning October 28, 2026, over Meta's objection.
August 26, 2026: Meta settles with state attorneys general
In the second week of the federal trial in Oakland, Meta settled the claims brought by state attorneys general, and the court entered a consent judgment the same day. The settlement requires a 10 year youth safety framework on Instagram and Facebook, including default daily time limits and overnight restrictions for teen accounts.
Meta did not admit wrongdoing. The settlement resolves the states' own claims only. It does not resolve the cases brought by individual families or school districts, and it does not create a fund families can claim from. Our article on whether the Meta state settlement covers your family's claim explains the difference.
August 18, 2026: federal trial of the states' claims begins
The jury trial on the state attorneys general's claims against Meta began in Oakland before Judge Gonzalez Rogers. The states alleged that Meta designed features like infinite scroll, algorithmic recommendations, and frequent notifications to hook young users and misled the public about the risks.
August 10, 2026: appeals court lets the cases proceed
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed appeals by Meta and TikTok as premature. The court held that Section 230, the federal law that limits platforms' liability for content their users post, is a defense against liability rather than immunity from being sued. The ruling did not decide whether any company is liable, but it kept the cases on track for trial.
August 2026: TikTok settles three more bellwether cases
TikTok reached confidential settlements with the three plaintiffs scheduled for the October trials. One of them, P.M.Y., then dismissed her remaining claims. TikTok has not faced a jury in any of these cases so far.
July 22, 2026: second California bellwether ends without a trial
R.K.C., a Florida teenager whose case was set for trial on July 27, dropped his claims against Meta after settling with Google, TikTok, and Snap. No trial took place.
June 2026: first verdict upheld
Judge Kuhl denied Meta's and Google's motions to overturn the March verdict or order a new trial. Both companies appealed the following month, and the appeal is pending.
May 2026: first school district bellwether settles
The first federal school district bellwether case, brought by a Kentucky school district, settled before its scheduled June trial. Snap, TikTok, and YouTube settled first, followed by Meta. The terms were not disclosed.
March 25, 2026: first jury verdict
In K.G.M. v. Meta, a Los Angeles jury found Meta and YouTube negligent for design choices that contributed to the plaintiff's mental health harm as a minor. The jury awarded compensatory and punitive damages. It was the first jury verdict in the country on social media addiction claims. Both companies said they disagreed with the verdict.
Late January 2026: first trial begins
Jury selection began in Los Angeles in K.G.M., the first social media addiction case to reach trial. Snap and TikTok both reached confidential settlements with the plaintiff in the days before.
2022 to 2025
November 2025: first trial cleared to go forward
Judge Kuhl ruled that whether platform design features were a substantial factor in the plaintiff's injuries was a question for a jury, clearing the way for the K.G.M. trial.
Late 2024: school district claims allowed to proceed
The federal court largely allowed school districts' claims against the platforms to move forward, setting up the school district bellwether track.
November 14, 2023: federal court narrows but keeps the cases
Judge Gonzalez Rogers ruled on the platforms' motions to dismiss. She found that Section 230 and the First Amendment barred some claims, particularly those targeting how the platforms publish or recommend third party content, but allowed others to proceed, including claims tied to parental controls and age verification.
October 2023: state court ruling and state lawsuits
On October 13, Judge Kuhl allowed plaintiffs in the California state proceeding to pursue negligence claims against the platforms. Later that month, dozens of state attorneys general sued Meta, alleging it designed Instagram and Facebook to addict young users.
October 6, 2022: federal cases consolidated
The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation created MDL 3047, gathering federal social media addiction cases in the Northern District of California.
What happens next?
October 28, 2026. The consolidated trial of S.J. and K.D.B. is scheduled to begin in Los Angeles, with Meta and Snap as the remaining defendants. Some defendants have settled shortly before each trial so far, so the lineup can change close to the date.
2027. Legal press reports describe further California bellwether trials scheduled for March and August 2027. We will add exact dates here as they are confirmed.
Federal bellwethers. More federal trials for personal injury and school district cases are expected in MDL 3047. We will add them once the court sets firm dates.
Appeals. Meta's and Google's appeal of the K.G.M. verdict is pending.
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Check your eligibilityWhat do these developments mean for families who haven't filed?
None of the settlements so far cover families who haven't filed their own claims. The individual settlements resolved only the plaintiffs who signed them, and the state settlement resolved only the states' claims. A family's claim still has to be filed on its own.
Verdicts and settlements in other cases also don't decide yours. Each claim turns on its own facts, including when use began, how heavy it was, and what harm followed. Filing deadlines are set by state law and keep running regardless of what happens in other trials, which is why it can help to learn where you stand now rather than after the next headline.
If you're gathering records, our guide on how to download your child's social media data walks through each platform. If you're an adult whose heavy use started before 18, see filing a social media claim for your own teenage use.
If your child is in crisis right now, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, available 24 hours a day.
Has any family been paid through the social media lawsuits?
Why do the companies keep settling right before trial?
Do federal and California state cases follow the same rules?
How often does this page change?
Have questions about your own situation?
A free, confidential review can tell you whether your family's experience fits the litigation.
Start your free reviewSources: Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, pending MDL docket reports. Meta Platforms Form 10-Q for the period ending June 30, 2026. Ninth Circuit opinion in State of Colorado v. Meta Platforms, August 10, 2026. Order on motions to dismiss, MDL 3047, ECF 430, November 14, 2023. Los Angeles Superior Court, JCCP 5255. Reporting by Courthouse News Service, Bloomberg Law, CNN, NBC News, and the Daily Journal.
Disclaimer: This article is general information, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Injury Advocate Group is an advertising service, not a law firm. Litigation status changes; eligibility can only be confirmed through a case review with an attorney.