Massachusetts social media addiction lawsuit
Families in Massachusetts are holding Meta, TikTok, Snap and YouTube responsible for harm to their children, one case at a time. Here is who may qualify, how Massachusetts cases are filed, and the deadline that applies.
Quick answer
Massachusetts families can bring individual claims, not a class action, against Meta, TikTok, Snap and Google (YouTube) when a child was harmed after heavy use before 18. In Massachusetts, an injury claim generally must be filed within 3 years; if the injured person was under 18 when the claim arose, the 3-year clock generally does not start until they turn 18. A free review checks your family’s deadline.
Who may qualify in Massachusetts
- The child lives or lived in Massachusetts and used Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat or YouTube regularly before 18
- The child developed depression, anxiety, an eating disorder, self-harm, sleep problems or another serious harm
- No diagnosis? 20 or more hours a week on one platform before 18 may support an exposure claim
- Families of a young person who died by suicide after heavy social media use
- An adult contacted the child through a platform and pressured, threatened or exploited them
Massachusetts filing deadlines
| Personal injury / product liability | 3 years | Most injury claims, including claims that a product was defective or unsafe, must be filed within 3 years after the claim arises. | Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 2A; ch. 106, § 2-318 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Injured as a minor | — | If the injured person was under 18 when the claim arose, the 3-year clock generally does not start until they turn 18. | Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 7; ch. 4, § 7 (minor = under 18) |
| Wrongful death | 3 years | A wrongful death claim must be filed within 3 years of the death, or within 3 years of when the estate's representative knew or should have known the facts behind the claim. | Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 229, § 2 |
Massachusetts handles product claims mainly as breach of warranty; ch. 106, § 2-318 says those injury claims must be filed within 3 years after the injury occurs. The wrongful death statute itself contains a discovery-based start date. We found no product-liability statute of repose. Medical malpractice claims for minors follow different rules (ch. 231, § 60D).
These are the general rules in the statutes. Courts apply exceptions, and which rule applies depends on the facts, so a lawyer should confirm your family’s deadline. This is general information, not legal advice.
How Massachusetts cases are filed
This is not a class action. A Massachusetts family’s claim is filed in the child’s name. Federal cases from every state are grouped in MDL No. 3047 in Northern California so evidence and pre-trial rulings are shared; about 3,800 were pending in October 2026. Some cases are filed in state court instead. The lawyers decide with your family where your case belongs.
What Massachusetts has done
Massachusetts did not join the joint federal case. Attorney General Andrea Campbell filed the state's own lawsuit against Meta and Instagram in Suffolk Superior Court on October 24, 2023.
Massachusetts was one of 14 attorneys general who filed separate lawsuits against TikTok on October 8, 2024.
Lawsuits and laws by the state are separate from a family’s own claim. They do not file or replace a claim for your child.
Who handles your case
Grove and Associates PLC is a Michigan law firm with its only office in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Its responsible attorney, Justin Grove, is licensed in Michigan only and is not licensed in Massachusetts. Cases for Massachusetts families are handled together with co-counsel admitted in the court where the case is filed. You will know every lawyer involved, and how the fee is shared, before you sign anything.
Common questions from Massachusetts families
Is there a class action for Massachusetts families?
No. Each child’s claim is filed individually. Federal cases from every state, including Massachusetts, are grouped in MDL No. 3047 in Northern California so evidence and pre-trial rulings are shared, but each claim stays the family’s own.
What is the deadline to file in Massachusetts?
Most injury claims, including claims that a product was defective or unsafe, must be filed within 3 years after the claim arises. If the injured person was under 18 when the claim arose, the 3-year clock generally does not start until they turn 18.
What if my child died?
A wrongful death claim must be filed within 3 years of the death, or within 3 years of when the estate's representative knew or should have known the facts behind the claim.
Didn’t Massachusetts already sue Meta?
Massachusetts did not join the joint federal case. Attorney General Andrea Campbell filed the state's own lawsuit against Meta and Instagram in Suffolk Superior Court on October 24, 2023. That case is brought by the state. It is separate from a family’s own claim for its child.
Do I need a Massachusetts lawyer?
Your family works with Grove and Associates PLC, a Michigan firm, and co-counsel admitted in the court where your case is filed. You will know every lawyer involved, and how the fee is shared, before you sign anything.
Does it cost anything?
No. The review is free and confidential. If you hire the firm, the lawyers are paid only from a recovery under a written contingency fee agreement.