Could children harmed by social media be entitled to compensation? At least one UK law firm is investigating.
Join the Claim isn’t a law firm. We connect you with regulated UK firms that run group action claims. If one of our partner firms takes this case forward, we’ll share more details, including how to check your eligibility.
Join the Claim Limited is a claims management company. This claim is not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Join the Claim Limited is authorised and regulated by the FCA (FRN: 1053404) for regulated claims management activities only.
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Overview
Millions of children have grown up with social media as part of everyday life. But now, a growing number of parents, researchers, regulators and campaigners are questioning whether some of the biggest and most popular platforms have been deliberately designed to encourage compulsive use.
Legal claims in the United States allege that features such as infinite scroll, autoplay videos, personalised recommendation algorithms and constant notifications contributed to excessive use and harmed some young people’s mental health and wellbeing.
In one landmark case against Meta and YouTube, a jury awarded a woman $6 million in damages after she claimed that the prolonged use of social media during childhood contributed to serious mental health difficulties. That case is now under appeal.
As scrutiny of social media platforms increases around the world, at least one UK law firm is now investigating whether similar legal action could be brought on behalf of children and young people in the UK.
Register your interest today and we’ll keep you informed if one of our regulated UK partner law firms launches a social media addiction claim.
Social media addiction claim – At a glance
Who could be affected?
Eligibility will depend on the legal basis of any claim. However, you may wish to register your interest if you, or your child:
Registering your interest with Join the Claim does not mean you are making a legal claim.
What do we know about the social media addiction claims?
How Join the Claim works
Take a moment to answer a few simple questions so we can understand your connection and keep you updated.
Share your details so we can keep you informed if any updates become available.
If a partner law firm takes this claim forward, we’ll let you know the next steps and how to join.
Want to learn more?
Our Social Media Safety hub explains the latest developments around platform design, online harms, child safety, AI-generated content and the UK social media ban.
We keep you informed about the growing debate around online safety, addictive features and digital accountability.
Latest updates on the social media addiction claims
August 2026
Meta is ordered to pay another $567 million after a US judge ruled that harms caused by Facebook and Instagram amounted to a "public nuisance". The latest ruling takes the total Meta has been ordered to pay in a New Mexico case to $942 million.
July 2026
At least one UK law firm begins investigating a potential social media addiction claim. Join the Claim opens registrations for people who want to stay informed about a potential UK claim.
Ofcom launches investigation into TikTok's child safety systems while the European Commission warns Meta over allegedly addictive platform features.
June 2026
UK government announces plans to ban under-16s from major social media platforms.
March 2026
A California jury awards damages in landmark social media addiction case. Meta and Google deny wrongdoing and later launch an appeal.
We’ll provide more updates as they occur.
We’ll provide more updates on the Flo data breach as they occur.
Did social media harm you or your child?
Register your interest today and we’ll let you know if a partner law firm takes this claim forward.
Frequently asked questions about the social media addiction allegations
The proposed claim relates to allegations that some social media platforms were designed in ways that encouraged excessive or compulsive use, particularly among children and young people. Legal actions in the United States have focused on features such as infinite scrolling, autoplay videos and personalised recommendation algorithms. The companies involved deny the allegations.
At least one UK law firm is now investigating whether a similar claim could be brought in the UK.
So far, global itigation has involved platforms including Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, while wider scrutiny has also focused on services such as TikTok and Snapchat.
Several lawsuits are already progressing in the United States, where claimants allege that social media companies designed platforms in ways that encouraged compulsive use and contributed to harm. A UK claim would be brought under UK law and would be considered separately by the UK courts.
If a claim proceeds, the law firm may ask for information about your or your child’s use of social media platforms, and how they believe they were affected. There is no need to gather evidence before registering your interest.
Yes. If you’re concerned your child may have been affected, you can register your interest on their behalf.
We are not a law firm. Our role is to keep people informed about potential group actions if one of our regulated UK partner law firms is able to take this claim forward.
By registering, you’ll stay up to date with any developments — from investigations to possible legal action.
No. Registering simply means you’ll receive updates. If a law firm later takes on the case, you’ll be given the option to learn more about the process and any potential costs before deciding whether to take part.
A group action claim allows people affected by the same issue to take action together. This strength in numbers helps stand up to big organisations. Join the Claim helps connect people with law firms so these actions have a real impact.
No. You are free to contact a solicitor directly at any time if you would like legal advice or wish to explore a claim.
When you register your interest with Join the Claim, we’ll keep you updated if one of our regulated partner law firms decides to take the claim forward. However, other law firms may also investigate or pursue claims independently of Join the Claim.
Registering for updates does not prevent you from speaking to another law firm or joining a claim elsewhere.
We connect consumers with their legal dream teams to ensure they get the compensation and support they deserve.
Join the Claim is not a law firm. We connect individuals with top law firms for group or individual claims, and our service is free to use. While we may receive a fee from the law firms we introduce you to, this will not affect your costs or compensation. We are not responsible for the advice or services provided by these firms. Please note, nothing on this website is legal advice, and while we check claim eligibility, we cannot guarantee a law firm will accept a case.
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