Snap settles with two teens during trial testing claims social media caused depression, eating disorders
SNAP•Snap reached a settlement during a trial over two teenagers’ claims that its platform was designed to be addictive and caused mental health problems. The settlement amount was not disclosed.
1. Settlement during trial
Snap Inc. reached a settlement during a trial over claims by two teenagers who say the company designed Snapchat to be addictive, causing depression, anxiety and eating disorders. The plaintiffs’ attorneys announced the settlement on Monday; its terms were not disclosed.
2. Trial and wider litigation
The case was set to be Snap’s first teen-harm trial, and CEO Evan Spiegel had been expected to testify. The teenagers alleged that features such as autoplay and infinite scroll encouraged compulsive use. They had previously settled claims against Meta, TikTok and YouTube. Social media companies face thousands of lawsuits alleging their platforms contributed to a youth mental health crisis.
