Protect our Children

Snap Inc., the parent company of social media app Snapchat, has settled claims alleging the platform was intentionally designed to be addictive for young users, ending the bellwether trial two days before opening arguments in Los Angeles.

The settlement, announced Monday by the legal teams for plaintiffs “SJ” and “KDB,” follows similar deals reached last month with tech giant Meta, which was a codefendant in the trial up until Friday. The terms of Snap Inc.’s settlement are confidential, attorneys added, and the social media company said the parties were “pleased to have been able to resolve this matter in an amicable manner.”

The settlements allow both Snap Inc. and Meta to avoid another high-profile trial this year, which was expected to feature Snap Inc. CEO Evan Spiegel taking the stand in court for the first time. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram head Adam Mosseri were also expected to testify.

The trial, which originally consolidated two cases, began last week in Los Angeles County Superior Court with jury selection.

KDB, a woman from Mississippi, argued her use of social media platforms Instagram and Snapchat as a child worsened her mental health and contributed to her eating disorder, suicidal thoughts, depression and self-harm.

SJ, a teenager from Illinois, said she started using Snapchat at a young age, accessing app features like “Snapstreaks” and “Snapscores” along with filters and push notifications. Her attorneys alleged these features played a role in her compulsive use of Snapchat.

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