Snap settles teen addiction lawsuit, ending Los Angeles trial
Snap has settled a lawsuit from two teens who allege Snapchat was built to be addictive and harmed their mental health, Reuters and Engadget report. The deal ends a Los Angeles trial in which Snap was the last defendant. The terms were not disclosed.
Snap, the company behind Snapchat, has settled a lawsuit from two teens who allege the app was built to be addictive, Reuters reports. The teens say it caused depression, anxiety and eating disorders. Lawyers for the plaintiffs announced the deal on Monday.
Jury selection had begun last week in Los Angeles Superior Court, Law.com reports. It was the second trial in Los Angeles state court over claims from young people who say social media hooked them, Reuters reports. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed, Engadget reports.
The teens had earlier settled their claims against Meta, YouTube and TikTok, Reuters and Engadget report. NewsHabit reported on Saturday that Meta had settled, leaving Snap as the only defendant. Snap chief Evan Spiegel had been expected to testify, Engadget says. It would have been his first time in court in such a trial.
The plaintiffs are S.J., a 16-year-old girl from Illinois, and K.D.B., an 18-year-old from Mississippi, Reuters reports. They allege that features like autoplay and infinite scroll led to compulsive habits.
"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," lawyers for K.D.B. said in a statement, Reuters reports.
A Snap spokesperson said the company remains committed to "continually strengthening the safety, privacy, and well-being of our community," Reuters and Engadget report. The companies have rejected claims that their platforms were designed to addict young people.
The case was picked from thousands of lawsuits as a bellwether, Reuters reports. That is a test case meant to show how similar claims might go. The next bellwether trials are set to begin in March, according to the plaintiffs' lawyers. The first trial ended in March this year. A jury found Meta and YouTube negligent and awarded a young woman $6 million.
Where outlets agree Reuters, Engadget and Law.com agree that Snap settled the social media addiction lawsuit brought by two teens in Los Angeles after jury selection had begun.
Where they differ The cited reports agree on the key facts so far.