LOS ANGELES: Snap Inc. reached a settlement on Monday during a trial over claims brought by two teenagers. The plaintiffs said the company designed its platform to foster compulsive use, leading to depression, anxiety, and eating disorders.
The teens’ attorneys confirmed the agreement. Jury selection began last week in Los Angeles state court for what was intended to be Snap’s first trial regarding youth harm.
Chief Executive Evan Spiegel planned to testify before both sides agreed to resolve the case. Plaintiffs S.J., a 16-year-old girl from Illinois, and K.D.B., an 18-year-old from Mississippi, stated they began using digital platforms during early childhood.
They argued that features like autoplay and infinite scroll created harmful habits. “Our ultimate goal is to hold these social media companies accountable,” attorneys John Morgan and Emily Jeffcott said in a statement.
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Meta Platforms, TikTok, and Alphabet’s YouTube previously settled claims with the two teens. Tech firms face thousands of lawsuits nationwide from families and school districts over youth mental health impacts.
Corporate leaders reject claims that they built their platforms to encourage compulsive habits in young people. Snap Inc. settled a lawsuit during a trial brought by two teenagers who claimed the company designed its platform to create compulsive use, leading to depression, anxiety, and eating disorders.
