TikTok Lawsuit FAQ

It is a group of individual product liability lawsuits claiming TikTok designed its app to be addictive to kids and failed to warn families about known mental health risks. Federal cases are consolidated in MDL No. 3047 in the Northern District of California, and California state cases are coordinated in Los Angeles (JCCP 5255). Read the full overview.

TikTok Inc. and its parent company ByteDance. The same litigation also names Meta (Instagram and Facebook), Google (YouTube) and Snap Inc. (Snapchat).

No. Each family has its own case. Cases are grouped together so that evidence-gathering and pretrial rulings are handled efficiently, but each case is valued on its own facts.

TikTok has not faced a jury verdict because it has settled every individual bellwether case before trial. Courts have rejected TikTok’s attempts to dismiss the core design and failure-to-warn claims, and a Texas judge ruled in 2026 that TikTok violated that state’s consumer protection law.

There is no global settlement or claims fund for individuals. Alabama’s settlement with TikTok and Meta’s settlement with the states pay money to governments, not families. To be compensated, your child needs their own claim. See settlements and verdicts.

Generally, children, teens and young adults who used TikTok or another covered app heavily starting as minors and developed a serious mental health condition that was diagnosed or treated. Parents file for children under 18. See Do I Qualify?

The cases involve eating disorders, body dysmorphia, severe depression, severe anxiety, suicidal thoughts, self-harm, suicide attempts, death by suicide, and sextortion or sexual exploitation. See all injuries.

Records of diagnosis or treatment are important, and we help you gather them. That can include doctors, therapists, school counselors, hospitals and treatment programs.

Not necessarily. Many clients are young adults whose problems began as teens. Deadlines depend on your state and the facts, so talk with us soon.

That’s very common and doesn’t hurt your case. The litigation names all of the major apps. Tell us about each one.

No. We represent families in all 50 states. Most of our work can be done by phone, video and mail, and we can come to you. See areas served.

Nothing up front. We work on contingency: we’re paid a percentage only if we recover money for you. The consultation is free.

Yes. We treat everything you share as confidential. Cases involving minors are typically filed using initials to protect privacy.

Most individual cases in large litigations resolve without the family going to trial. If testimony is needed, we prepare your child carefully and protect their privacy.

Mass tort cases often take years. Bellwether trials are scheduled into 2027. We keep you updated at every step.

Limiting or stopping use can be good for your child, but don’t delete the account before saving its data. Account history and screen-time records can be important evidence. Here’s how to save evidence.