Snap, the company behind Snapchat, has reached an agreement with two teenagers who claimed the platform encouraged compulsive social media use and contributed to mental health problems. The settlement was announced on Monday during proceedings in a California state court in Los Angeles, where the company could otherwise have faced a jury for the first time in this type of case.
The teenagers alleged that features such as autoplay and infinite scrolling were designed to promote excessive use from childhood. They said their use of the platforms contributed to depression, anxiety and eating disorders. The companies named in the lawsuits have denied designing their services to addict children and teenagers, and say they have taken steps to make their platforms safer for younger users.
The cases were filed by S.J., a 16-year-old from Illinois, and K.D.B., an 18-year-old from Mississippi. According to their allegations, both began using YouTube in early childhood and started using other social media platforms at around age nine. They said they developed compulsive habits linked to the apps and blamed features including autoplay and infinite scrolling for part of that behavior.
The jury selection process had begun the previous week, and Snap CEO Evan Spiegel was expected to testify. The teenagers had already reached agreements with Meta, TikTok and YouTube, meaning all the companies initially named in their lawsuits have now settled.
A Snap spokesperson said the company had developed protective mechanisms, introduced safety tutorials and formed partnerships with experts. The spokesperson added that Snap remained committed to strengthening the safety, privacy and well-being of its community.
The case was selected from thousands of pending lawsuits in the United States as a bellwether trial, which could have tested the arguments against the companies and influenced the handling of other disputes. According to the teenagers’ attorneys, the next group of similar trials is scheduled to begin in March.
The litigation is part of a broader wave of cases brought by individuals, school districts, municipalities and government entities. The lawsuits accuse social media companies of deliberately encouraging compulsive use among children and contributing to a youth mental health crisis.
In March, the first case of this kind to reach trial ended with a Los Angeles jury finding Meta and YouTube negligent and ordering them to pay $6 million in damages to a young woman. Legal pressure has also reached state governments. In August, Meta reached agreements potentially worth $18 billion with nearly all U.S. states and territories and agreed to make changes to how Instagram and Facebook operate for teenagers. Of that amount, $5 billion was contingent on similar agreements with Snap, TikTok and YouTube.
Sources: Olhar Digital.