Meta Halts Ads Recruiting Plaintiffs for Social Media Addiction Lawsuits

The tech giant says it will not allow law firms to profit from its platforms while claiming they are harmful.

Apr. 10, 2026 at 7:33pm

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A highly detailed, glowing 3D illustration of a tangled web of illuminated circuit boards, wires, and data nodes in shades of neon blue, purple, and magenta, conceptually representing the complex digital infrastructure behind social media platforms.The intricate digital backbone of social media platforms has become a battleground over allegations of user addiction and mental health harms.Menlo Park Today

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has stopped allowing law firms to post advertisements recruiting people as plaintiffs for lawsuits against social media companies over social media addiction. A Meta spokesperson stated the company is actively defending itself against these lawsuits and will not allow trial lawyers to profit from its platforms while simultaneously claiming they are harmful.

Why it matters

Meta is facing thousands of lawsuits alleging its platforms are addictive and harmful, especially to children. The company denies the allegations but has now taken the step of blocking ads that seek to connect potential plaintiffs with law firms pursuing these cases, indicating the legal battles are escalating.

The details

Recent court rulings have found Meta and Google liable for millions in damages related to social media addiction, with juries agreeing the companies knew their products were addictive but did not adequately warn users. Law firms like Morgan & Morgan have been actively advertising on social media to recruit plaintiffs for these types of lawsuits, but Meta says it will no longer allow such ads on its platforms.

  • On March 24, a New Mexico jury fined Meta $375 million for violating state law by failing to warn about the risks its platforms posed to children.
  • On March 25, a California jury found Meta and Google liable for $6 million for psychological problems suffered by a 20-year-old plaintiff after becoming addicted to their products.

The players

Meta

The parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, which is facing thousands of lawsuits alleging its platforms are addictive and harmful, especially to children.

Morgan & Morgan

A law firm that represents plaintiffs in the litigation against Meta and other social media companies, and was part of the trial team that won the Los Angeles case.

Emily Jeffcott

An attorney at Morgan & Morgan who stated that Meta's resources would be better spent improving user safety rather than blocking ads seeking potential plaintiffs.

Rustin Silverstein

The founder of X Ante, a company that tracks mass tort advertising, who said social media has become an increasingly popular place for advertisers seeking potential law clients in mass tort litigation against social media companies.

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What they’re saying

“We will not allow trial lawyers to profit from our platforms while simultaneously claiming they are harmful.”

— Meta spokesperson

“Because of companies like Meta and YouTube, our attention spans and the reward systems in our brains have become monetized and exploited like never before. This approach of addicting people to social media platforms to make more profit—at the expense of our mental health—has been especially harmful to the minds of our children. We're pleased the jury recognized the magnitude of this issue and held Meta and YouTube accountable for their actions.”

— John Morgan, Founder, Morgan & Morgan

“Blocking the ads doesn't make the harms go away. It just makes it harder on victims.”

— Emily Jeffcott, Attorney, Morgan & Morgan

What’s next

Meta's legal battles over social media addiction claims are expected to continue, with the company actively defending itself against the thousands of lawsuits it faces. The outcome of these cases could have significant implications for the tech industry and how social media platforms address concerns about the addictive nature of their products.

The takeaway

This case highlights the growing legal and public scrutiny over the potential harms of social media addiction, particularly for young users. It also underscores the tension between tech companies' business models and their responsibility to protect user wellbeing, as Meta's decision to block ads seeking plaintiffs suggests an acknowledgment of the legal risks it faces.