tech
Snapchat’s parent company settles social media addiction lawsuit before trial
Snap’s chief executive had been due to testify in civil action also involving Meta, TikTok and YouTube
TL;DR
- Snapchat's parent company has settled a civil lawsuit related to social media addiction.
- Meta, TikTok, and YouTube have not settled and still face trial in the consolidated lawsuit.
- The lawsuit alleges that social media addiction led to mental health problems for a 19-year-old plaintiff.
- A previous ruling stated that platform design features, not just third-party content, may be responsible for harm.
- The first bellwether trial is set to begin on January 27th with jury selection.
- The outcome of these cases could result in billions of dollars in damages and force changes in platform design and regulations concerning minors.