Platform
Snap Reaches Settlement in Social Media Addiction Lawsuit, Leaving Meta as Sole Remaining Defendant
Snap has reached a tentative settlement in a lawsuit alleging its platform harms the mental health of children and young adults, avoiding a jury trial scheduled to begin later this month, Bloomberg reported. The terms were not disclosed, but Snap confirmed the agreement to Bloomberg.
The case, brought by a plaintiff identified by the initials R.K.C., was set for trial next week in Los Angeles. Snap’s settlement follows TikTok’s own resolution of its portion of the same case ahead of trial, and a separate settlement by YouTube. With three of the four major platforms named in the litigation now settled, Meta is the only defendant still facing trial.
Meta has already lost related child safety cases this year. A New Mexico court handed the company its first courtroom defeat over child safety claims in March. Later that month, a Los Angeles jury found Meta and Google negligent in a separate trial and awarded the plaintiff, who went by the initials K.G.M., $6 million in damages.
These verdicts and settlements are fueling additional lawsuits against social platforms over algorithmic design and its effects on younger users. Data released by Edison Research in December illustrates why the underlying claims have resonated with juries. In a survey of 2,253 weekly TikTok users conducted in October, 42% said they believe they spend too much time on the platform, rising to 54% among users aged 13 to 24. Roughly a third of weekly users, and 41% of the youngest cohort, said they had tried to limit or stop their usage. Despite that, daily usage stood at 29% of all users and 54% of the 13-24 group, and 18% of weekly users described feeling “addicted” during their time on the platform.
Snap did not disclose what, if any, product changes accompany the settlement. Meta’s trial remains the case to watch.
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