Thousands of lawsuits brought in California state courts by teenagers, their families and school districts allege that social media platforms operated by Meta (Facebook and Instagram), Google (Youtube), TikTok and Snap cause mental health harms to children and teens.

The cases are being coordinated in a Judicial Council Coordination Proceeding before the Los Angeles County Superior Court.

In January 2026, trial began in the first test case, which concerns a woman who alleges that her compulsive use of social media as a child contributed to her mental health issues. Snap and TikTok settled shortly before trial.

On 25 March 2026, the jury found Meta and Google liable and awarded the woman USD6m in damages. In June 2026, a California state court judge denied the companies' request for a new trial.

Google's YouTube and TikTok settled the second test trial, set to begin on 27 July 2026, before it began.

Separate proceedings are also ongoing in federal court in California over similar allegations. There is also an ongoing case against Meta in New Mexico state court over allegations that it failed to protect children from sexual exploitation.

On 22 July 2026, the plaintiff in the second test trial dropped their lawsuit after settling with all defendants except Meta.