Nearly every state has taken legal action against Meta over harm to young users. Those cases have produced a multibillion-dollar settlement and a jury verdict in New Mexico. None of that money goes to individual families. To seek compensation for a child’s injuries, a family must file its own claim.
The Multistate Lawsuit
On October 24, 2023, 33 states filed a joint lawsuit against Meta in federal court in Northern California. Florida filed separately, and the District of Columbia and seven other states filed in their own courts. The states claimed Meta built manipulative features that addict children and teens, misled the public about safety and collected data from children under 13.
The federal case went to trial in Oakland on August 18, 2026, with California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey presenting the case for a coalition of 29 states.
The August 2026 Settlement
On August 26, 2026, during the second week of trial, Meta agreed to settle. According to the Connecticut Attorney General, Meta will pay $12.19 billion over ten years, rising to $17.1 billion if TikTok, YouTube and Snap agree to comparable safety terms and payments. Nearly every state and the District of Columbia are part of the deal. Meta denies liability.
The settlement also requires changes for users under 18, including:
- A default two-hour daily limit, combined across Instagram and Facebook, that a teen cannot loosen without a linked parent’s approval.
- Default overnight restrictions from midnight to 6 a.m., with exceptions such as messaging, that a linked parent can loosen.
- Most notifications turned off by default during school hours.
- Required breaks after set periods of use, an optional feed that is not driven by the algorithm, and an optional setting to restrict autoplay.
- Hidden like counts and a ban on cosmetic surgery filters.
- Stronger age checks and an independent auditor.
Texas announced a separate settlement with Meta the same day, valued at more than $1 billion. Florida rejected the settlement, and on October 7, 2026, it asked a state court to order Meta to verify ages and change its platforms for young users.
New Mexico’s Verdict
New Mexico sued Meta in December 2023 after an undercover investigation using decoy accounts of children. After a trial that began February 2, 2026, a jury on March 24, 2026 found that Meta misled the public about risks to minors and imposed $375 million in civil penalties. On August 6, 2026, the judge ordered Meta to fund a $567 million abatement program. Meta is appealing.
Massachusetts
On April 10, 2026, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that federal law does not shield Meta, at this stage, from the state’s claims about Instagram’s design. Massachusetts later joined the August 2026 settlement and expects up to $516 million.
Why Families Still Need to File
The state cases enforce consumer protection laws and pay penalties and settlement funds to the states. They do not compensate children for depression, eating disorders, self-harm or other injuries. Families who bring their own personal injury claims may seek compensation for medical and counseling expenses, past and future, along with pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life.
Under the current screening guidelines, a young person may have a claim if they became addicted to the app before age 18, are now 25 or younger, used it heavily (typically three or more hours a day), and were diagnosed with depression, severe anxiety, an eating disorder, body dysmorphia, self-harm, suicidal thoughts or a suicide attempt. They should also have received treatment, or have been diagnosed within the last three months and plan to get treatment. Families who lost a child to suicide at age 21 or younger may have a wrongful death claim.
Common Questions
Will my family get money from the Meta state settlement?
No. The settlement pays the states. It does not create a claims process for individual families.
Does the state settlement end the personal injury lawsuits?
No. Thousands of individual claims are still pending in federal court and in Los Angeles, and new claims are being filed.
Why did Florida reject the settlement?
Florida’s attorney general said the deal was not enough and that the state would pursue its own case. Florida has asked a state court to order changes to Meta’s platforms.
Do the new teen protections affect my child’s claim?
No. The changes apply going forward. A claim for injuries that already happened is separate.