Business · Companies · 2 hrs ago
Snap settles lawsuit over alleged harm to teenagers
Snap settled a lawsuit brought by two teenagers who said its platform contributed to their depression, anxiety and eating disorders.
The plaintiffs accused the company of designing its platform to encourage addictive use.
They said they began using YouTube as young as age 3 and other social media platforms at around age 9, and developed compulsive habits linked to features such as autoplay and infinite scrolling.
The teenagers had already reached settlements with Meta, TikTok and YouTube.
The case would have been Snap’s first trial in a wider wave of lawsuits over social media’s effects on young users, and CEO Evan Spiegel was expected to testify.
Thousands of similar lawsuits remain ongoing in federal and state courts, though Snap has settled its other cases that were scheduled for trial.
Snap Inc. has settled a lawsuit brought by two teenagers who alleged its platform was designed to be addictive and contributed to depression, anxiety and eating disorders.
The settlement was reached during a trial in Los Angeles state court, according to the plaintiffs’ attorneys.
The plaintiffs had previously settled their claims with Meta, TikTok and YouTube.
Snap’s chief executive, Evan Spiegel, had been expected to testify.
The case was selected from thousands of lawsuits as a bellwether to test claims against social media companies.
- Who
- Snap Inc. and two teenage plaintiffs, identified as S.J. and K.D.B.
- What
- Snap settled a lawsuit alleging its platform was designed to be addictive and harmed the plaintiffs’ mental health.
- When
- November 2, 2026; the settlement was announced on Monday.
- Where
- Los Angeles state court, California.
- Why
- The plaintiffs alleged that Snap’s platform encouraged compulsive use and contributed to depression, anxiety and eating disorders.
The plaintiffs
Snap and other social media companies
Platform design
The plaintiffs
The plaintiffs said the platforms were designed to encourage addictive or compulsive use.
Snap and other social media companies
The companies rejected claims that their platforms were designed to addict young people.
Impact and response
The plaintiffs
The plaintiffs said social media use harmed young people and sought to hold companies accountable.
Snap and other social media companies
The companies said they had taken action to make their apps safe places for young people to express themselves.
Jury selection began for the trial in Los Angeles state court.
Snap reached a settlement during the trial, according to the plaintiffs’ attorneys.
The next bellwether trials are scheduled to begin, according to the plaintiffs’ lawyers.
- Plaintiffs
- S.J., 16, from Illinois; K.D.B., 18, from Mississippi
- Alleged harms
- Depression, anxiety and eating disorders
- Previously settled with
- Meta, TikTok and YouTube
- Snap CEO
- Evan Spiegel was expected to testify
- Next bellwether trials
- Scheduled to begin in March
2 sources
What people are saying
Our ultimate goal is to hold these social media companies accountable for how their actions have impacted millions of children across the country, and these settlements allow us to keep building toward that goal
The Parties are pleased to have been able to resolve this matter in an amicable manner