If you find sexual images or messages involving your child or any minor, do not screenshot, download or forward them. Possessing or sharing them can be a crime, even for a parent trying to help. Report them to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s CyberTipline (1-800-843-5678) and to local police, and tell your lawyer what you reported and when.
The account itself
- Download the account data before anything is deleted. Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube (through Google) each let a user request a copy of their account information in the app’s settings. Save the file somewhere safe.
- Write down every username, including old and secondary accounts.
- Don’t delete the account, posts or messages without talking to a lawyer. If you need to stop your child’s use for safety, logging out, removing the app or using parental controls can stop the use without erasing the record.
How much the apps were used
- Screen-time reports. iPhone Screen Time and Android Digital Wellbeing show hours per app. Screenshot the weekly reports, which only cover recent weeks.
- Old phones and tablets. Keep them, charged if possible, instead of trading them in.
- Notifications and late-night use. Screenshots that show the time of day help show how the apps pulled your child back.
What your child saw and experienced
- Screenshots of recommended content: dieting, self-harm, appearance or other harmful material the app suggested.
- Messages showing bullying, harassment or contact from adults (but see the warning above about sexual content).
- Any reports your child or you made to the platform, and the company’s responses.
Medical and school records
- The names of every doctor, therapist, psychiatrist, counselor, hospital and treatment program, with approximate dates.
- Diagnoses, prescriptions, hospital or emergency visits, and bills.
- School changes: grades, attendance, discipline, counselor visits and any special education or 504 plans.
Your own timeline
Write down, in your own words, when your child got each app, when you first noticed changes, what those changes were, and what you did about them. Dates can be approximate. A timeline written now is more reliable than one reconstructed a year from now.
What not to do
- Don’t post about the situation or a possible lawsuit on social media.
- Don’t contact the companies about a lawsuit or sign anything they send.
- Don’t edit or “clean up” your child’s account.
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Call 911. If your child is thinking about suicide or self-harm, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, any time.
Questions people ask us
Should my child delete the apps?
Protecting your child comes first, and limiting or stopping use can be the right decision. Before deleting an account, though, download a copy of the account data and take screenshots, because deleting an account can erase records that show what happened.
Can I look through my child’s phone?
Parents of minors usually can, and it is often how families first see what happened. Save what you find without changing or deleting it. For anything sexual involving a minor, do not save or share it; report it instead, as explained on this page.
Do I need all of this before calling a lawyer?
No. Call first if you are unsure. The goal is to keep information from being lost, not to build the case yourself.