Snap, the parent company of Snapchat, has reached a settlement with plaintiffs who alleged the platform was deliberately engineered to be addictive for minors, bringing an abrupt end to a bellwether trial that was set to open in Los Angeles. The deal, confirmed Monday by attorneys for two plaintiffs identified as “S.J.” and “K.D.B.,” follows a similar agreement with Meta last month, which had been a co-defendant until Friday.
Terms of the settlement were not disclosed, and Snap issued a brief statement saying both sides were “pleased to have been able to resolve this matter in an amicable manner.” The resolution spares Snap and Meta from another high-profile courtroom battle this year, one that would have featured testimony from Snap CEO Evan Spiegel—his first time on the stand—as well as Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram chief Adam Mosseri.
Bellwether cases and allegations
The litigation, which consolidated two cases, began jury selection last week in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The plaintiffs argued that features like Snapstreaks, Snapscore, filters, and push notifications were designed to encourage compulsive use, leading to mental health harm.
K.D.B., a woman from Mississippi, said her childhood use of Instagram and Snapchat worsened her mental health, contributing to an eating disorder, suicidal thoughts, depression, and self-harm. S.J., a teenager from Illinois, said she began using Snapchat at a young age and became hooked on its engagement tools. Her attorneys claimed those features played a central role in her compulsive behavior.
Attorneys vow to continue fight
John Morgan, founder of Morgan & Morgan, and Emily Jeffcott, who represents K.D.B., hailed the settlement as a step toward accountability. “We are proud to have achieved justice for our bellwether clients so far,” they said in a joint statement. “Our ultimate goal is to hold these social media companies accountable for how their actions have impacted millions of children across the country, and these settlements allow us to keep building toward that goal.”
Joseph VanZandt, an attorney for S.J. at the Beasley Allen Law Firm, said the agreement “secures real results for S.J. and her family.” He added: “This litigation has always been about making social media safer for kids, and nothing about these resolutions slows that work. We will be back in a courtroom in March, and we will keep going until these platforms are safe for the children who use them.”
Snap defended its platform, saying Snapchat “was built to encourage real conversations with real friends.” A spokesperson added: “We’ve built safeguards, launched safety tutorials, and partnered with experts. Because safety is never finished, we remain committed to continually strengthening the safety, privacy, and well-being of our community.”
The next group of bellwether cases is scheduled for trial in March 2027. The settlement comes on the heels of Meta’s own settlement with K.D.B. last Friday, while S.J. had already settled her claims the previous week. As the legal battles continue, the broader fight over social media’s impact on teen mental health remains a central issue in policy debates, with some lawmakers pushing for new regulations.
