Meta Pulls Plaintiff Recruitment Ads After $6M, $375M Jury Verdicts
Meta is removing Facebook and Instagram ads recruiting plaintiffs for addiction lawsuits after suffering two adverse jury judgments. A Los Angeles jury ordered Meta and Google to pay $6 million and a New Mexico jury hit Meta with $375 million, fueling over 3,300 state and 2,400 federal cases.
1. Meta Pulls Plaintiff Recruitment Ads
Meta has removed all Facebook and Instagram advertisements soliciting plaintiffs for lawsuits alleging social media addiction among young users. The company stated it will not allow trial lawyers to profit from its platforms while it defends against thousands of ongoing claims.
2. Recent Jury Verdicts Total $381 Million
In late March, a Los Angeles jury found Meta and Google liable for a young woman’s depression and suicidal thoughts, awarding a combined $6 million in damages. A New Mexico jury separately ordered Meta to pay $375 million after finding it misled users about platform safety and enabled child exploitation.
3. Lawsuit Volume and Litigants
There are over 3,300 pending addiction lawsuits in California state court against Meta, Google, Snap and ByteDance, plus 2,400 federal cases filed by public entities such as school districts and states. Plaintiffs allege mental health harms and financial burdens on governments to address youth addiction consequences.