Meta has begun removing advertisements placed by attorneys seeking clients who claim to have been harmed by social media while under the age of 18. This action follows the California court's finding of negligence against Meta and YouTube regarding social media addiction in a landmark case just two weeks prior. Lawyers nationwide are now actively recruiting new plaintiffs for a potential class action lawsuit, which could yield significant financial damages. Facebook and Instagram were primary platforms hosting these deactivated ads, though some also appeared on Threads, Messenger, and Meta's Audience Network.

One active ad stated: 'Anxiety. Depression. Withdrawal.

Self-harm. These aren't just teenage phases — they're symptoms linked to social media addiction in children. Platforms knew this and kept targeting kids anyway.' Meta is invoking a clause in its terms of service allowing removal of content deemed to cause adverse legal impacts, though advertising standards lack a similar restriction.

A Meta spokesperson stated: 'We're actively defending ourselves against these lawsuits and are removing ads that attempt to recruit plaintiffs for them. We will not allow trial lawyers to profit from our platforms while simultaneously claiming they are harmful.'.