Social Media Company Snap Settles Lawsuit Accusing of Causing Addiction
Days before a scheduled trial, Snap, the social media company, has reportedly settled a lawsuit that accused the platform of causing social media addiction. According to reports from multiple outlets, the settlement was reached ahead of the trial.
The settlement was announced in the California Superior Court in Los Angeles County, as reported by the New York Times. The lawsuit was brought against Snap by a 19-year-old referred to as K.G.M. in court documents. The plaintiff accused the social media app of designing algorithms and features that led to addiction and mental health issues.
Although the terms of the settlement were not disclosed, Snap remains a defendant in other similar social media addiction cases. The lawsuit also named other platforms, including Meta, YouTube, and TikTok, with no settlements reached with them yet.
Documents revealed in ongoing cases showed that Snap employees had raised concerns about the risks to the mental health of teens dating back at least nine years. Snap has dismissed these examples as being “cherry-picked” and taken out of context.
Plaintiffs in these cases liken the situation to the lawsuits against Big Tobacco in the 1990s, where cigarette companies concealed health risks. They argue that features like infinite scroll, auto video play, and algorithmic recommendations have led users to continuously use the apps, resulting in issues like depression, eating disorders, and self-harm.
The trial would have marked the first time a social media company faced a jury in an addiction lawsuit. Snap CEO Evan Spiegel was scheduled to testify, but with the settlement, that will not be necessary. The remaining case against Meta, TikTok, and YouTube is set to proceed, with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg expected to take the witness stand.
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If the plaintiffs succeed, legal experts anticipate multibillion-dollar settlements and potential redesigns of the platforms’ products. However, the companies have defended themselves by arguing that design choices like algorithmic recommendations and push notifications are protected speech under the First Amendment.
Despite the settlement, Snap did not provide an immediate comment on the matter.
