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Platforms Involved
Learn which platforms are involved and what families are challenging in court.
The apps named in current lawsuits
The consolidated federal litigation names four companies: Meta (Instagram and Facebook), Snap (Snapchat), ByteDance (TikTok) and Google (YouTube). We also review claims involving Roblox, Discord and AI chatbot services, which are the subject of separate and newer lawsuits.
Instagram and Facebook (Meta)
Claims against Meta focus on the recommendation feed, appearance-altering filters, public like counts, and the company’s own internal research. In March 2026, a Los Angeles jury found Meta and Google negligent in an individual personal-injury case involving social media use; Meta subsequently reported that it had filed a notice of appeal.
TikTok (ByteDance)
Claims against TikTok focus on the recommendation algorithm and how quickly it can move a young user from ordinary content toward material about weight, self-harm or despair, together with an endless feed that has no natural stopping point.
Snapchat (Snap)
Claims involving Snapchat often concern streaks, which reward children for logging in every single day, disappearing messages, and features that connected minors with adults they did not know.
YouTube (Google)
Claims involving YouTube focus on autoplay, the recommendation sidebar, and the volume of time young users spent on the platform.
Roblox, Discord and AI chatbots
These are newer areas. Claims typically involve contact between adults and children, exposure to sexual content, or, in the case of chatbot services, conversations that encouraged self-harm. We review these cases, and the law here is developing quickly.
The design features at the center of the claims
| Infinite scroll and autoplay | No natural stopping point. Lawsuits allege these features keep children watching long after they meant to stop. |
|---|---|
| Variable rewards | Likes and new content arrive unpredictably. Complaints compare the pattern to a slot machine. |
| Streaks | Daily-use rewards that complaints allege encourage young users to return to preserve a streak. |
| Beauty filters | Appearance-altering effects that lawsuits allege fueled body-image problems and eating disorders. |
| Public like counts | A visible popularity score attached to a child’s appearance and social standing. |
| Late-night notifications | Notifications that complaints allege encourage continued use, including at night. |
| Weak age checks | Self-reported ages and parental controls that lawsuits allege did not work as advertised. |
These features can be changed, which is part of the argument. On August 26, 2026, state attorneys general announced an agreement with Meta that included age verification, hidden like counts, a ban on cosmetic filters and a midnight-to-6 a.m. access restriction for users under 18, with a parental opt-out for the time restriction. The announcement described the agreement as subject to court approval. It provides payments to states, not a claims program for families.