Judge Chooses Six Bellwether Cases for Social Media Addiction MDL

On Friday the 13th, U.S. District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers selected six cases out of hundreds to serve as the first bellwether trials for the social media addiction multidistrict litigation (“MDL”). Hundreds of cases have been filed by attorneys general, school districts, and individual plaintiffs across the country, all generally alleging social media companies, including Meta, YouTube, and TikTok, design their various platforms to be addictive to minors.

The litigation was initially consolidated in 2022 and discovery is now drawing to a close. To select bellwether cases, Judge Rogers had the parties choose a number of cases each would prefer to be tried first. From there, Judge Rogers selected three cases favored by the defendants and three favored by the plaintiffs.

With bellwether cases now narrowed for potential trials, the sprawling social media addiction MDL continues to lurch forward. Most of the cases that make up the MDL echo the same theories used in nationwide litigation against tobacco companies in the 90s and opioid manufacturers more recently. Specifically, the cases all generally allege social media companies designed their platforms to include features that addict minors, cause various mental health problems, and ultimately force schools and local government to bear the costs of these problems.

The future of the MDL, and any similar claims against social media companies, may hinge on the outcome of the bellwether cases. Jaszczuk P.C. will continue to monitor the progress of the MDL.