Meta Platforms said Thursday it has removed advertisements from Facebook and Instagram that were recruiting plaintiffs for ongoing lawsuits accusing social media companies of designing addictive products harmful to young users, reports Reuters.
Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said the company is defending itself against “thousands of cases” filed in both state and federal courts in California, and would not allow its platforms to be used to promote litigation against it.
“We will not allow trial lawyers to profit from our platforms while simultaneously claiming they are harmful,” Stone said.
The move comes after Meta lost two high-profile trials related to the allegations. In late March, a Los Angeles jury found Meta and Google liable in a case brought by a young woman who said she developed depression and suicidal thoughts after becoming addicted to Instagram and YouTube. The jury awarded $6 million in combined damages.
In a separate case in New Mexico, jurors ordered Meta to pay $375 million after finding it misled users about the safety of its platforms for young people and enabled the sexual exploitation of children.
Across the United States, more than 3,300 state court lawsuits are pending against Meta, Google, Snap Inc. and ByteDance, while a further 2,400 federal cases have been consolidated in California, according to court filings.
The companies have denied the allegations, arguing they invest heavily in safety tools and protections for younger users.
The state-level cases largely involve individual plaintiffs alleging mental health harms linked to social media addiction, while federal cases include claims from public entities such as school districts and state governments that say they have borne financial and social costs from the alleged impacts.
Law firms involved in the litigation often rely on contingency fees and use widespread advertising campaigns to recruit plaintiffs, including television, radio, online platforms, and social media.
Some of those ads have appeared on Meta’s own platforms, including campaigns run by firms such as Morgan & Morgan, which has represented plaintiffs in the litigation.
According to advertising tracking firm X Ante, interest in mass tort advertising tied to social media lawsuits has surged following recent verdicts, with thousands of radio spots and hundreds of television ads airing in recent months.
Industry analysts say digital platforms have become an increasingly important channel for recruiting potential plaintiffs, even as companies involved in the lawsuits move to restrict such advertising on their own services.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
