Many parents looking up the Meta settlement want to know how to file a claim for their child. There is no claim form for families. Meta’s August 2026 settlement with state attorneys general pays the states, not children or their parents. A family seeking compensation for a child’s depression, eating disorder, self-harm or other injury must file its own claim.
Is There a Claim Form for the Meta Settlement?
No. On August 26, 2026, during the second week of a trial in Oakland, Meta agreed to settle the state attorney general lawsuits over harm to young users. According to the Connecticut Attorney General, Meta will pay the states $12.19 billion over ten years, rising to $17.1 billion if TikTok, YouTube and Snap agree to comparable safety terms and payments. Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia are part of the deal, and each state’s share is set by the agreement. Meta denies liability.
The settlement also requires changes for users under 18, including a default two-hour daily limit, overnight restrictions and stronger age checks. It does not set up a fund or a claims process for families, and it does not end families’ own claims against Meta. Read more about why the Meta deal does not pay families and the state attorney general lawsuits.
Other Government Settlements and Penalties
Several other cases brought by states and the federal government have ended in payments. All of this money goes to governments or public programs, not to individual families.
- Texas and Meta: Texas announced its own settlement with Meta on August 26, 2026, valued at more than $1 billion.
- New Mexico and Meta: On March 24, 2026, a New Mexico jury 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 program to address harm to young people in the state. Meta has said it will appeal.
- Alabama and TikTok: On September 25, 2026, TikTok settled Alabama’s lawsuit for at least $100 million and up to $300 million if certain conditions are met, according to the Alabama Attorney General. See TikTok’s Alabama settlement.
- The Justice Department and TikTok: In August 2026, TikTok agreed to pay $400 million to resolve a federal lawsuit over children’s privacy.
School District Settlements
More than 1,000 school districts have sued the companies in federal court, claiming the apps fueled a youth mental health crisis that schools had to address. The first district set for trial, Breathitt County School District in Kentucky, settled in May 2026. Reuters, which obtained the agreements through a public records request, reported that the four companies paid about $27 million: Meta $9 million, Snap $8 million, TikTok’s parent company ByteDance $8 million and YouTube’s parent company Alphabet about $2 million. The money went to the district. The next school district trial, brought by Tucson Unified School District in Arizona, is set for February 2027.
Jury Verdicts
One personal injury case has reached a verdict. On March 25, 2026, in K.G.M. v. Meta, a Los Angeles jury found Meta and YouTube negligent and awarded a 20-year-old woman $6 million: $3 million in compensatory damages and $3 million in punitive damages. Meta was assigned 70 percent of the fault. She started using YouTube at 6 and Instagram at 9 and alleged anxiety, depression and body dysmorphia. The judge denied the companies’ post-trial motions in June 2026, and the verdict is being appealed.
The second trial, brought by two teenagers against Meta and Snap, began with jury selection in Los Angeles on October 28, 2026. See the full trial schedule.
Individual Settlements
Several companies have settled with young people whose cases were set for trial. Snap and TikTok settled with K.G.M. before her trial. TikTok settled with S.J., P.M.Y. and K.D.B. on August 3, 2026. YouTube settled with S.J. and K.D.B. before the October trial, and S.J.’s attorneys say she also settled with Meta. None of the amounts have been disclosed.
What Is My Child’s Claim Worth?
It is too early to say. No global settlement for families has been announced, and the companies continue to fight these claims in court. The verdicts and settlements in the test cases, called bellwethers, will shape how the remaining claims are valued. Any estimate of what an individual claim is worth before then would be a guess.
Each claim is judged on its own facts, including the diagnosis, how long and how intensely the young person used the apps, the treatment needed and how the injury has affected their life. Families can seek compensation for medical and counseling expenses, past and future, along with pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life.
Who May Have a Claim
Two things matter most: the young person started using Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat or YouTube heavily before age 18 and is now 25 or younger, and a doctor, therapist or counselor diagnosed or treated depression or severe anxiety, an eating disorder or body dysmorphia, or self-harm, suicidal thoughts or a suicide attempt. You do not need to meet every detail to reach out. See who may qualify.
Families who lost a child to suicide at age 21 or younger may have a wrongful death claim.
Doyle APC handles social media addiction claims together with experienced co-counsel, for families nationwide. The case review is free, and you pay nothing unless there is a recovery.
If you or your child is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
Common Questions
Can I file a claim for part of Meta’s $17 billion settlement?
No. The settlement pays the states and has no claims process for families. To seek compensation for a child’s injuries, a family must file its own claim.
Has there been a settlement for families?
Not a global one. Some individual cases set for trial have settled on confidential terms, and thousands of claims remain pending in federal court and in Los Angeles.
How much did the jury award in the first trial?
$6 million, including $3 million in punitive damages, in March 2026. The verdict is being appealed.
Does the settlement stop families from suing Meta?
No. The state settlement does not give up families’ own claims, and new claims are still being filed.
Is it too late to file a claim?
Deadlines vary by state and often depend on the young person’s age and when the injury was diagnosed, so it is worth acting soon.
What does it cost?
Nothing up front. You pay nothing unless there is a recovery.