Social media platform Snap has settled a lawsuit with plaintiffs, following in the footsteps of TikTok, Alphabet, and Meta, effectively concluding its legal battle over allegations that Snapchat youth addiction lawsuit issues harm teenagers’ mental health.
Bloomberg reported on the 2nd (local time) that Snap, the operator of Snapchat, reached an agreement in the Los Angeles County Superior Court with teenage plaintiffs K.D.B (18) and S.J (16) who had filed the social media addiction lawsuit.
The terms of the settlement were not disclosed. Snap released a statement expressing that the company is pleased the parties were able to resolve the matter amicably.
Snapchat gained immense popularity among teenagers through its messaging and social media features, notably that messages automatically delete once read and posts disappear after 24 hours.
This lawsuit consolidated claims for damages filed by S.J. from Illinois and K.D.B. from Mississippi. They argued that addictive platform designs, such as auto-play and infinite scroll features, caused them to suffer from depression, anxiety disorders, and eating disorders.
Similar lawsuits have been filed against Meta, the operator of Facebook and Instagram, Alphabet as the parent company of YouTube, and TikTok. This particular case had garnered significant attention as a bellwether trial that would set future standards for ongoing social media addiction litigation.
However, with the plaintiffs reaching settlements with all the corporate operators involved, the trialโoriginally scheduled to begin on the 4th of next monthโwill no longer take place.
Social media addiction lawsuits have recently emerged as a major risk factor for the IT industry.
In March, a similar social media addiction lawsuit was tried in the LA County District Court, where a jury verdict ordered Meta and YouTube to pay a total of $6 million (approximately 8 billion won) in damages to plaintiff K.G.M.
According to Bloomberg Intelligence, Snap’s potential risk exposure stemming from social media damage lawsuits is projected to reach up to $3 billion (approximately 4.038 trillion won) by 2029. Snap’s market capitalization stands at $9.4 billion.
