Meta class action over youth social media effects seeks consolidation as multidistrict legislation

Meta youth social media class action overview: 

• Who: A group of 28 young plaintiffs from around the country are asking a panel to consolidate their cases against Facebook, Instagram and Meta.
• Why: The plaintiffs say they have near-identical claims against the companies alleging they and other adolescents were harmed by the social media platforms.
• Where: The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation 
• How to Get Help: If your child has suffered mental health issues linked to using Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, or Snapchat, you may have legal options. See if you qualify.

Plaintiffs from across the country who filed lawsuits alleging Facebook and Instagram exploited adolescents during their formative years have asked a panel to consolidate their cases. 

On Aug. 1, lawyers filed a petition on behalf of Plaintiff Brianna Murden and 27 other plaintiffs nationwide asking the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) to consolidate the cases for pretrial proceedings.

In a press release, one of the plaintiff’s attorneys, Joseph VanZandt of Beasley Allen, said the plaintiffs sought to hold Facebook, Instagram, their parent company Meta and other social media companies accountable for exploiting adolescents during their formative years. 

“The defendants intentionally designed products to be addictive. They used sophisticated algorithms that manipulate users to increase time and engagement on the platforms, despite knowledge of devastating harm to its most vulnerable users,” he said. 

Plaintiff harmed by using social media from age 10, she alleges

In Murden’s case, the 21-year-old says in her complaint that she began using Facebook and Instagram when she was 10. 

Murden claims the products’ addictive design “and the constant 24-hour stream of notifications” from the platforms fueled harmful behavior.

She alleges the platforms caused her to struggle psychologically with her self-image and relationship with food because of the constant flood of images and videos “altered by the platforms’ appearance and beauty enhancing product features.” 

She said the altered images were curated to her by the platforms’ algorithms, and that the harm she suffered led to injuries including severe anxiety and self-harm.

Right now, at least 28 lawsuits are filed in 17 different federal courts throughout the country, asserting nearly identical factual allegations and legal claims against Facebook, Instagram, and other social media companies, lawyers for the plaintiffs say. 

The plaintiffs are asking the JPML to consolidate the cases in a multidistrict litigation. Attorneys say they expect the number of similar cases to increase “exponentially” in the coming months.

In March, President Joe Biden spent part of his State of the Union address urging Congress to prevent social media companies from collecting the personal data of underage users and targeting them with advertisements.

Biden argued stronger privacy protections are necessary in order to hold social media companies accountable for what he called a “national experiment” that has led to a decline in mental health among children and teens.

In June, a young woman sued Facebook and its parent company Meta in a class action lawsuit, alleging she developed an addiction to the companies’ social media platforms and that corporate executives put profits above youth mental health.

What do you think about the impact of social media on young people? Let us know your thoughts in the comments! 

If you are under the age of 21 or the parent of a teenager who uses social media and suffers from mental health conditions, you may qualify to join a class action lawsuit investigation.

The plaintiffs are represented by Beasley Allen.

The proposed Social media harm MDL is In re: Social Media Adolescent Addiction//Personal Injury Product Liability Litigation.

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