The State of Arkansas and social media company Snap are still going back and forth in court over a consumer protection lawsuit Attorney General Tim Griffin filed in June.
Snap’s Snapchat app lets users send photos and videos — called “Snaps” — that automatically disappear after being viewed. As of 2026, the platform boasts an estimated 493 million active daily users — many of whom are teenagers.
But the social media app has been at the center of multiple controversies regarding sexting and grooming.
In a lawsuit filed on June 23, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin alleged Snapchat exploits young users and exposes them to dangers like “sextortion rings, predatory grooming, violent content, illegal drug marketplaces, unrealistic beauty standards, and an untested My AI chatbot that delivers dangerous and inappropriate advice to minors.”
The attorney general’s team says Snap has failed to provide “even basic safeguards” for kids.
In response, Snap successfully moved the lawsuit from state court to federal court. The company has filed court documents indicating it participates in programs designed to educate people about digital safety and protect kids online. The case is currently before Judge Brian Miller, whom President George W. Bush appointed to the federal court in 2008.
Attorney General Griffin has asked Judge Miller to remand the case to state court.
The lawsuit against Snap is similar to other lawsuits Attorney General Griffin has filed against social media companies.
In 2023, Attorney General Griffin sued Meta — the company that owns Facebook and Instagram — for intentionally designing its social media platforms “to exploit human psychology and foster addiction to maximize users’ screen time.”
Meta recently resolved that lawsuit as part of a $17 billion settlement the company reached with dozens of attorneys general from around the country.
In 2023, Attorney General Griffin also filed two lawsuits against ByteDance — the company that owns TikTok.
Those legal complaints call the TikTok app “a Chinese ‘Trojan Horse’ unleashed on unsuspecting American consumers.” The A.G.’s team says that TikTok deceptively labeled its app as being appropriate for ages 13 and up when it really should have been rated 17+. Attorney General Griffin’s office is still actively pursuing its lawsuits against TikTok in Arkansas court.
A growing body of evidence shows that social media platforms may deliberately addict users, promote objectionable content, and put people’s personal information at risk. Parents need to understand what these platforms may be doing to children.
Social media platforms are more than just phone apps or websites.
These are multibillion-dollar businesses with CEOs, boards of directors, investors, and development teams. The adults who profit from these businesses need to be held accountable when they harm innocent people — especially teens.
Children deserve proactive protection online. If tech companies won’t protect children, then voters and policymakers must do it.
Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.
