Minnesota social media addiction lawsuit
Families in Minnesota are holding Meta, TikTok, Snap and YouTube responsible for harm to their children, one case at a time. Here is who may qualify, how Minnesota cases are filed, and the deadline that applies.
Quick answer
Minnesota 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 Minnesota, an injury claim generally must be filed within 4 years; if the injured person was under 18, the clock is paused until they turn 18. But the pause cannot give them more than 1 year after their 18th birthday. A free review checks your family’s deadline.
Who may qualify in Minnesota
- The child lives or lived in Minnesota 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
Minnesota filing deadlines
| Personal injury / product liability | 4 years | A strict product liability claim, meaning a claim that a product was defective, must be filed within 4 years. Many negligence-based injury claims fall under a separate 6-year limit. | Minn. Stat. § 541.05, subd. 2 (product strict liability, 4 yrs); § 541.05, subd. 1(5) (6 yrs) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Injured as a minor | — | If the injured person was under 18, the clock is paused until they turn 18. But the pause cannot give them more than 1 year after their 18th birthday. | Minn. Stat. § 541.15(a) |
| Wrongful death | 3 years | A wrongful death claim must be filed within 3 years of the death, and no later than 6 years after the act or omission that caused it. | Minn. Stat. § 573.02, subd. 1 |
Which limit applies (4-year strict liability or 6-year negligence) can depend on how the claim is pleaded, so a family should not assume the longer one applies. A 2-year limit in Minn. Stat. § 541.07(1) covers intentional torts such as assault and libel. We found no general product statute of repose in Chapter 541. Different minor rules apply to claims against health care providers (§ 541.15(b)).
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 Minnesota cases are filed
This is not a class action. A Minnesota 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 Minnesota has done
Minnesota joined the joint federal lawsuit against Meta that 33 states filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on October 24, 2023.
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 Minnesota. Cases for Minnesota 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 Minnesota families
Is there a class action for Minnesota families?
No. Each child’s claim is filed individually. Federal cases from every state, including Minnesota, 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 Minnesota?
A strict product liability claim, meaning a claim that a product was defective, must be filed within 4 years. Many negligence-based injury claims fall under a separate 6-year limit. If the injured person was under 18, the clock is paused until they turn 18. But the pause cannot give them more than 1 year after their 18th birthday.
What if my child died?
A wrongful death claim must be filed within 3 years of the death, and no later than 6 years after the act or omission that caused it.
Didn’t Minnesota already sue Meta?
Minnesota joined the joint federal lawsuit against Meta that 33 states filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California 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 Minnesota 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.