Snap Settles Snapchat Addiction Suit Before Trial Begins
The company resolves claims by two teenagers after Alphabet and TikTok also agreed to settle earlier this week.
By Noor Phillips ·
A federal trial scheduled for this week in a major social media addiction lawsuit ended without opening arguments. Snap, the parent company of Snapchat, reached a settlement on Monday, according to attorneys representing the plaintiffs.
The case involved two teenagers, identified in court records as S.J. and K.D.B. They alleged that Snapchat’s design created an addictive product. The suit claimed that starting to use the platform at a young age contributed to their mental health issues.
Mark Lanier, founder of The Lanier Law Firm, served as lead counsel for the plaintiffs. In a statement, Lanier said his firm was glad to reach a resolution. He added that he believed a jury would have found the companies' conduct reprehensible.
Snap was the final defendant to agree to settle. Alphabet and TikTok, the other companies named in the lawsuit, had already resolved their own claims. The specific financial terms of the Snap agreement were not disclosed, according to John Morgan of Morgan & Morgan and attorney Emily Jeffcott, who served as trial counsel for K.D.B.
Snap stated in a written release that the parties were pleased to resolve the matter amicably. The lawsuit was part of a group of bellwether cases brought by plaintiffs claiming social media platforms harmed their mental health through addictive design. Earlier this year, a jury found Meta and Google-owned YouTube liable and awarded $6 million to the lead plaintiff in a related case. Meta also reached a separate agreement with dozens of U.S. states in August, agreeing to pay damages and add child-safety measures.
