By Troy Littledeer
OAKLAND, Calif. (Native-wire) — The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and the Chickasaw Nation filed lawsuits in federal court Tuesday accusing Meta, TikTok, Snap and Google of designing addictive platforms that harm tribal youth and strain tribal resources.
The cases, assigned to U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in the Northern District of California, echo hundreds of other claims in a sprawling multidistrict litigation targeting social-media companies. The suits allege features such as infinite scroll, autoplay and algorithmic feeds have fueled rising rates of depression, suicidal ideation and other harms among adolescents.
As sovereign tribal governments, the Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations argue they are uniquely positioned to sue over the collective costs to their communities, including health care, education and social services. Both tribes seek damages, abatement funds and court-ordered changes to product design.
“These platforms are not just neutral tools — they are engineered to hook our children, and our communities are paying the price,” the Chickasaw complaint states.
The suits join hundreds of actions consolidated in MDL No. 3047, a proceeding already overseen by Gonzalez Rogers. Similar claims brought by states and school districts have survived early dismissal motions, signaling that at least some of the tribes’ allegations could proceed.
If successful, the cases could bring long-term funding and structural reforms to help curb social-media harms in Indian Country.
