Snapchat's parent company, Snap, has reached a settlement with two teenagers who alleged the platform's design fostered addiction, contributing to their depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. Attorneys for the plaintiffs announced the agreement on Monday, marking the end of a trial that had begun jury selection last week.
The plaintiffs had previously settled with other major technology companies, including Meta Platforms, TikTok, and Alphabet's YouTube, in similar lawsuits. These cases collectively accuse social media platforms of designing features like autoplay and infinite scroll to encourage compulsive use.
In the lawsuit against Snap, plaintiffs S.J., a 16-year-old from Illinois, and K.D.B., an 18-year-old from Mississippi, stated they began using YouTube at a young age and other platforms around age nine. They attribute their addictive habits to the design of these applications.
The companies involved have consistently denied claims that their platforms are designed to be addictive, asserting that they implement measures to ensure user safety, particularly for young people. However, social media companies are facing thousands of lawsuits from individuals, school districts, and governmental entities. These suits allege that companies knowingly designed their platforms to addict children, thereby exacerbating a youth mental health crisis that includes increased rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide.
This settlement with Snap follows a previous trial where a Los Angeles jury found Meta and YouTube negligent, awarding a young woman $6 million in damages in March. Other cases selected for trial have either been settled or the claims have been dropped by the plaintiffs.
In August, Meta agreed to settlements totaling up to $18 billion with nearly all U.S. states and territories to resolve lawsuits concerning the harm their platforms allegedly inflicted on teens. Part of these agreements involved Meta committing to changes in how Instagram and Facebook operate for younger users. The overall deal stipulated that $5 billion of the payout was contingent on states reaching similar settlements with Snap, TikTok, and YouTube.
Snap has not immediately responded to requests for comment. Attorneys for the plaintiffs expressed that their ongoing objective is to hold social media companies accountable for the impact their actions have had on millions of children nationwide, and that these settlements aid in pursuing that goal.