Snap has reached a settlement with two teenagers who accused the company of designing its platform to encourage addictive use and contributing to their depression, anxiety and eating disorders. The settlement was first reported by Reuters.
The plaintiffs had previously reached settlements with Meta, TikTok and YouTube. Their case was expected to be Snap’s first trial in a broader wave of litigation concerning the effects of social media on young users. Snap had already settled its other cases that were scheduled for trial, and CEO Evan Spiegel was expected to testify.
The teenagers said they began using YouTube as early as age 3 and other social media platforms at around age 9. They attributed their compulsive usage habits in part to features including autoplay and infinite scrolling.
A Snap spokesperson told TechCrunch that the parties were pleased to resolve the matter amicably. The company said it had introduced safeguards, launched safety tutorials and partnered with experts, adding that it remained committed to strengthening the safety, privacy and well-being of its community.
Social media companies are facing thousands of lawsuits in federal and state courts. The cases allege that platforms knowingly designed their services to attract and retain young users and contributed to a youth mental health crisis involving anxiety, depression and suicide.
Sources: TechCrunch.