Snap Settles Addiction Lawsuit Ahead of Trial

Social media giant Snap has reportedly settled a significant lawsuit accusing its platform of causing social media addiction and negative mental health impacts. The settlement was announced Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, just days before a crucial trial was set to begin.

The lawsuit, filed by a 19-year-old, alleged that Snap's algorithms and features were intentionally designed to foster addiction. Plaintiffs drew comparisons to the "Big Tobacco" era, asserting that platforms concealed potential harms associated with features like infinite scroll and algorithmic recommendations.

Snap employees had reportedly raised concerns about teen mental health risks internally at least nine years ago. The company has contested these claims, calling them "cherry-picked" and out of context. The settlement with Snap comes as other major platforms, including Meta, YouTube, and TikTok, still face similar litigation.

Evan Spiegel, Snap's CEO, was scheduled to testify, which would have marked a landmark moment as the first time a social media executive faced a jury in such a case. Jury selection for the trial against the remaining defendants is slated to commence next Monday, January 27. Legal experts anticipate that prevailing plaintiffs could secure multibillion-dollar settlements and compel product redesigns.