Unpacking Attorney General Griffin’s Lawsuit Against Snapchat

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Earlier this summer, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin filed a consumer protection lawsuit against Snap — owner of the popular social media platform Snapchat — alleging the company deliberately designed its app to attract and addict teenagers, while publicly claiming the platform was safe for young users.

The lawsuit alleges Snap violated state laws against deceptive trade practices.

Nearly all American teenagers use social media, and about one in three teens say they use it “almost constantly.”

Snapchat is a messaging app that 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.

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 alleges 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”:

“Snap is among the worst and most egregious offenders of all social media companies. Contrary to popular belief, Snapchat is not a neutral communication tool; it is a digital drug dealer that targets our children. Snapchat is an addictive product, deliberately engineered to manipulate attention and psychological behavior, particularly in teens and preteens. Behind this devastating reality lies a deliberate and calculated business model: Snap has engineered its platform to create addiction in our children to maximize profits over people regardless of the impact on our communities and families.

“Snapchat has evolved into a platform built to capture attention, deepen dependency, and keep minors online for as long — and as often — as possible. And it works, especially on Arkansas children. In every relevant metric — Snaps seen, Snaps sent, time spent on the app, and more — Arkansas youth surpass the national average.

“As a direct result, Snapchat shapes how children communicate, how they relate to peers, and how they see themselves, all while exposing them to serious, predictable, and entirely avoidable risks.

“That compulsive use also translated directly into concrete psychological harms.”

Attorneys for Snap have filed motions to move the case from state court to federal court, but the attorney general’s team is working to keep the case in 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.” The A.G. says this exploitation is especially harmful for young users with developing brains.

The lawsuit against Meta was recently resolved as part of a $17 billion settlement that Meta 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.” They highlight how TikTok fails to protect private user data and argue that TikTok’s algorithm “force-feeds” objectionable content to users — including “illegal drug use, sex, violence, and self-harm.”

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.

Family Council is not aware of any attorney general in America who is doing more to hold social media giants accountable and protect children online than Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin. We hope our courts will continue to do their part to hold these companies accountable as well.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Study Shows Staggering Number of Young Men Trapped in “Addiction Economy” of Gambling, Pornography

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Approximately one in eight men ages 18 to 29 use pornography, gamble, and play video games every single day, according to the Institute for Family Studies (IFS).

The IFS report released last month is based on a YouGov survey of 2,000 Gen Z men living in the United States.

In a statement online, sociology professor Brad Wilcox of the University of Virginia said the report shows, “We have a generation of young men trapped in the ‘addiction economy’—and the numbers are staggering.”

Wilcox pointed out that the data shows 11.9% of men in their late teens and twenties use pornography, gamble, and play video games — all three — every single day.

Almost one in four young men said they gambled daily. More than one in four (27%) reported using pornography daily.

But while large number of young men appear to be trapped in the “addiction economy,” Focus on the Family’s Daily Citizen points out that the news isn’t all bad for Gen Z:

“While some may look at the facts above and immediately conclude men are the primary source of society’s problems, there are heartening statistics about young men returning to church and prioritizing family life.

“Young men today are more likely to desire positive important life decisions – like going to church regularly, getting married and having children – than young women are.

“According to Gallup, more young men today (42%) say religion is “very important” to their lives than at any point in the last 25 years. Young men are now more likely than young women (29%) to say religion is “very important” to them.

“For the first time in American history, more men attend church than women – with the disparity especially pronounced among 20-somethings.

“In terms of marriage, IFS reports that 68% of unmarried young men want to get married someday, and 62% of childless young men aspire to be fathers.”

The Daily Citizen is right. We have written before about the “quiet revival” taking place among young adults in America and abroad.

Young adults — men and women alike — have driven Bible sales to record levels and are being baptized into the Christian faith. That’s good news.

But the IFS report’s findings are still deeply concerning. Millions of young adults are trapped by addiction — and in some cases, multimillion-dollar corporations are profiting from it. That should trouble everyone.

Arkansas has taken steps to protect young people from gambling and from internet pornography and other harmful material. Clearly more work still needs to be done.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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What Will Arkansas Get from the Settlement with Meta?

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Last week, social media giant Meta agreed to a $17.1 billion settlement with dozens of state attorneys general over a slate of consumer protection lawsuits. As part of the agreement, Meta must add a host of safety features to protect teens on Facebook and Instagram.

The proposed Settlement Agreement is still waiting for final court approval. If approved, Attorney General Tim Griffin says Arkansas would receive more than $172.4 million.

But when will Arkansas receive its share of the settlement and where will the money go? Here is what the proposed Settlement Agreement says:

Meta would pay the settlement money directly to the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office. The agreement’s payment language says “For the State of Arkansas, payments . . . shall be made directly to the Office of the Arkansas Attorney General.”

The settlement says the State of Arkansas may use the settlement money “for any lawful purpose.”

Settlement money in consumer protection cases often funds initiatives to address the harm that prompted the lawsuit in the first place.

For example, Arkansas uses tobacco settlement money to fund the State’s Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program and other public health initiatives.

Arkansas uses money from an opioid settlement to address the opioid crisis.

Attorney General Griffin’s office has said the settlement funds from the lawsuit against Meta “will be spent consistent with the agreement, including on mental health and keeping our kids safe.”

Settlement payments to Arkansas would be made annually over the next ten years and could be nearly a quarter of a billion dollars.

At a minimum, Arkansas would receive $17,245,993.63 from Meta within 30 days after the settlement takes effect.

Assuming the settlement takes effect this year, Arkansas would then receive another $17,245,993.63 every January 15 until 2035.

That means over the next 10 years, Arkansas would receive a minimum $172,459,936, but Meta could be forced to pay more if certain “contingencies” in the settlement are met.

For example, if Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube become subject to teen age-verification and usage requirements that are substantially similar to Meta’s — and if certain other conditions are met — Meta would pay Arkansas another $7.4 million per year.

Several lawsuits are currently in play against TikTok and other social media platforms that could force them to adopt youth-safety and usage restrictions that are similar to Meta’s.

Between minimum payments and the other contingencies in the Settlement Agreement, Arkansas could receive close to $250 million from Meta over the next decade.

Tech platforms like Meta are multibillion-dollar corporations. The men and women who profit from these businesses have a responsibility to protect their users — especially teenagers.

Children deserve proactive protection online. If tech companies won’t give children that protection, then it’s up to voters and elected officials to make sure they get it.

Family Council appreciates Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin for going to court to protect kids online.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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