CBS News reported last week that Snap — the owner of social media platform Snapchat — settled a social media addiction lawsuit filed by two teenagers who say they were harmed by the Snapchat app. The lawsuit alleged that social media products like Snapchat are designed to be addictive and contribute to mental health problems among young users. Snap reportedly reached the confidential settlement just days before the case was set to go to trial.
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 separate lawsuit filed on June 23 of this year, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin alleged that 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 alleges Snap has failed to provide “even basic safeguards” for kids and should be held liable for violating Arkansas’ consumer protection laws. A federal hearing in the case is currently scheduled for December 3.
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, and investors. 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.
