Meta’s biggest social media addiction trial ended in a settlement. After a trial that began in August 2026 in federal court in Oakland, California, Meta agreed on August 26 to pay the states about $12 billion over 10 years, which could rise to about $17 billion if other major platforms reach similar settlements with the states, and to change how Facebook and Instagram work for users under 18, according to the state attorneys general. Meta denied the allegations. The court has since approved the settlement.
Case update (September 2026): The settlement was announced August 26, about a week after opening statements. Colorado was one of five states that co-led the case, along with California, Tennessee, Kentucky and New Jersey. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers approved the settlement and entered it as a consent judgment.
As Marlo Greer noted in her video before the trial, a jury trial put a spotlight on Meta’s potential liability and the product changes it might have to make.
What the Meta Social Media Addiction Lawsuit Is About
This case was brought by the state of California and a number of other states. It accused Meta of designing Facebook and Instagram to increase its profits while addicting users, particularly children. The lawsuit also accused Meta of misleading the public about the risks of social media addiction. Before trial, the judge denied Meta’s motion for summary judgment, allowing the states’ claims to go to a jury.
As Marlo points out, lawsuits like this one may force Meta to make significant changes in the way its social media products are designed. Parents trying to limit “screen time” know how hard it is to keep children off social media.
The California lawsuit, along with a number of other lawsuits, argues that this is by design. They say Meta designed its products to become addictive, knew its products appealed to children and did little to prevent them from becoming addicted. Along with that addiction comes a number of mental health issues, issues that have led some children to suicide.
What Meta Agreed to Change
Under the settlement, Meta agreed to changes for users under 18, including:
- A default two-hour daily usage limit
- Blocking use from midnight to 6 a.m., unless a parent overrides it
- Hiding like and reaction counts from users under 18 by default
- Banning cosmetic surgery filters for minors
- An option for a feed that isn’t personalized by an algorithm
- An independent auditor to check compliance
How This Case Differs From Other Meta Lawsuits
A New Mexico jury found Meta liable for $375 million in civil penalties for misleading the public about its platforms’ risks to children, including sexual exploitation. In August 2026, the judge ordered Meta to pay another $567 million, bringing the total to $942 million, and required five years of court-supervised changes to protect younger users. Meta has said it will appeal.
An earlier case in California found Meta and YouTube negligent in a case over a young user’s social media addiction and awarded her $6 million in damages. Thousands of other cases pending across the country allege similar wrongs by Meta and other social media companies.
These cases aim to make Meta’s products less addictive, harder for children to use and safer from potential abusers. For more, read Social Media Harm Lawsuits: What Parents Need to Know, Social Media Product Liability: Why Platform Design Matters and Meta and YouTube Verdicts: Two Different Cases Explained.
If Social Media Harmed Your Child
We represent people who are harmed by the negligent or intentional actions of others, including people hurt by a product that is defective or badly designed. When a company knowingly ignores a defect that harms people, we want to hold it accountable.
If you or your child has been seriously harmed by social media addiction, call Greer Law Group at 303-331-6460 or contact us online to schedule a free case evaluation.
