At a Glance
- Snap has reached a confidential settlement with a 19-year-old plaintiff who accused the platform of designing addictive features that harmed mental health
- The case was set to begin trial this week, with CEO Evan Spiegel scheduled to testify
- Other major platforms including Meta, YouTube, and TikTok remain defendants in the same lawsuit
- Trial against the remaining companies starts Monday, January 27, with Mark Zuckerberg expected to testify
Why it matters: This marks the first time a social media company has settled a personal addiction lawsuit, potentially setting precedent for similar cases that could force platforms to redesign their products.
Snap has quietly settled a lawsuit alleging its platform caused social media addiction in a teenager, avoiding what would have been the first trial of its kind against a major social platform.
The settlement was announced Tuesday in the California Superior Court in Los Angeles County, according to the New York Times. The lawsuit was brought by a 19-year-old identified only as K.G.M. in court documents, who accused Snap of creating addictive algorithms and features that led to mental health issues.
The terms of the settlement remain confidential.
The Case That Almost Went to Trial
The lawsuit against Snap was part of a broader case that also names Meta, YouTube, and TikTok as defendants. No settlement has been reached with those platforms, meaning the trial will proceed against them starting next week.
Key details of the case:
- Snap CEO Evan Spiegel was scheduled to testify in what would have been his first courtroom appearance in an addiction lawsuit
- The trial was set to begin just days after the settlement announcement
- No social media platform has yet lost an addiction case at trial
Internal Documents Reveal Years of Employee Concerns
Court documents unveiled in the ongoing cases show Snap employees raised concerns about teen mental health risks dating back at least nine years. The company has pushed back against these revelations, claiming the examples were “cherry-picked” and taken out of context.
The plaintiffs are drawing direct parallels to the Big Tobacco lawsuits of the 1990s. In those landmark cases, cigarette companies were found to have concealed known health risks from consumers. Similarly, the social media lawsuits allege platforms have obscured information about potential harms while designing features that keep users hooked.
According to the New York Times, the lawsuit specifically targets features that promote continuous app usage:
- Infinite scroll functionality
- Auto-playing videos
- Algorithmic content recommendations
What’s at Stake for Social Media Platforms
The remaining case against Meta, TikTok, and YouTube is moving forward with jury selection beginning Monday, January 27. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is expected to take the witness stand, marking a significant moment in the legal battle over social media’s impact on mental health.
The plaintiffs argue these design choices have led to serious mental health consequences including:
- Depression
- Eating disorders
- Self-harm behaviors
Legal experts predict that if plaintiffs prevail, the cases could result in multibillion-dollar settlements and potentially force platforms to fundamentally redesign their products.
The First Amendment Defense
The social media companies aren’t backing down without a fight. Their defense strategy includes arguing that design choices like algorithmic recommendations, push notifications, and infinite scroll are similar to a newspaper deciding what stories to publish. They claim these decisions are protected speech under the First Amendment.
This legal argument could prove crucial as the remaining case heads to trial. The companies maintain that their platforms simply present content and that users make their own choices about engagement.
Snap has not responded to requests for comment about the settlement, maintaining the confidentiality that often surrounds such agreements.
The Broader Legal Landscape
This settlement comes as social media companies face increasing scrutiny over their impact on youth mental health. While Snap has resolved this particular case, it remains a defendant in other similar social media addiction lawsuits.
The timing is significant – with one major platform now settled, attention turns to how Meta, YouTube, and TikTok will handle their upcoming trial. The outcome could reshape how social media platforms operate and design their products.
For now, the confidential nature of Snap’s settlement leaves many questions unanswered about what responsibility platforms bear for user addiction and mental health impacts. As the remaining case prepares for trial, the industry watches closely to see if more settlements follow or if these companies will face a jury’s decision.
