Just days before a trial was due to begin, social media company Snap has reached a settlement in a lawsuit that accused its platform of fueling social media addiction, according to multiple reports.
The New York Times reported that the settlement was announced on Tuesday in California Superior Court in Los Angeles County. The case was filed by a 19-year-old identified in court documents as K.G.M., who alleged that Snap intentionally designed algorithms and product features that led to addiction and contributed to mental health problems.
Details of the settlement were not made public.
The lawsuit also names other major platforms, including Meta, YouTube, and TikTok, though no settlements have been reached with those companies. Snap, meanwhile, continues to face several similar lawsuits related to social media addiction.
Court documents disclosed in the ongoing cases suggest that Snap employees had expressed concerns about the potential mental health risks to teenagers as far back as nine years ago. The company has responded by saying those internal discussions were “cherry-picked” and taken out of context.
Plaintiffs have compared the lawsuits to the Big Tobacco cases of the 1990s, arguing that social media companies concealed or downplayed the risks associated with their products. They claim features such as infinite scrolling, auto-play videos, and algorithm-driven recommendations are designed to keep users engaged for extended periods, allegedly contributing to issues like depression, eating disorders, and self-harm.
Snap CEO Evan Spiegel had been scheduled to testify, and the case was set to become the first social media addiction lawsuit to be heard by a jury. To date, no major social media company has lost such a case at trial.
The remaining lawsuit against Meta, TikTok, and YouTube is expected to move forward, with jury selection scheduled to begin next Monday, January 27. Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify when proceedings get underway.
