Snap Settles Social Media Addiction Lawsuit Just Days Before Trial
In a surprising turn of events, Snap has settled a lawsuit accusing the social media giant of causing social media addiction, just days before a scheduled trial was set to begin. The settlement was announced on Tuesday in the California Superior Court in Los Angeles County, but the terms of the agreement remain undisclosed.
The lawsuit, filed by a 19-year-old identified as OK.G.M., claimed that Snap’s algorithms and features were designed to be addictive and lead to mental health problems. The case also named other social media platforms, including Meta, YouTube, and TikTok, but no settlement has been reached with these companies.
Interestingly, Snap is still a defendant in other pending social media addiction cases filed against it. Documents from these ongoing cases have revealed that Snap employees raised concerns about the potential harm to the mental health of teenagers at least nine years ago. However, the company has claimed that these examples were “cherry-picked” and taken out of context.
The plaintiffs in these cases are drawing parallels to the lawsuits against tobacco companies in the 1990s, alleging that the platforms obscured details about potential harms from their users. They argue that features like infinite scroll, auto video play, and algorithmic suggestions have tricked users into repeatedly using apps, leading to depression, eating disorders, and self-harm.
Snap CEO Evan Spiegel was set to testify in the trial, which would have marked the first time a social media company faces a jury in an addiction lawsuit. No platform has lost such a case at trial yet. The remaining case against Meta, TikTok, and YouTube is set to proceed with jury selection starting next Monday, January 27, with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg expected to take the witness stand.
If the plaintiffs prevail, legal experts predict that the cases could lead to multibillion-dollar settlements and potentially force platforms to revamp their products. However, the firms have thus far defended themselves partly by arguing that those same design decisions, like algorithmic suggestions, push notifications, and infinite scroll, are similar to a newspaper deciding what stories to publish and are protected speech under the First Amendment.
Snap did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This development comes as the tech industry is facing increased scrutiny over the impact of social media on users’ mental health. As the world waits to see how this case unfolds, one thing is clear: the stakes are high, and the potential consequences for the tech industry are significant.
