Snap Settles Youth Addiction Lawsuit Ahead of Trial

Snap has resolved a lawsuit filed by two teenagers who accused the company of deliberately designing features to foster addiction, worsening their depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. The agreement was first reported by Reuters and confirmed in reporting by TechCrunch (https://techcrunch.com/2026/11/02/snap-settles-lawsuit-accusing-platform-of-fueling-teen-depression-and-eating-disorders/).

The proceeding was positioned to serve as Snap's first trial among a broader wave of civil lawsuits testing tech companies' legal liability for adolescent mental health. Chief Executive Evan Spiegel had been slated to testify in person during the trial before the settlement was finalized.

According to court filings cited in the reporting, the two plaintiffs said they began watching YouTube around age 3 and started using other social networks by age 9. They alleged that product mechanics like infinite scrolling feeds and autoplay functionality cultivated compulsive behavior that damaged their physical and psychological well-being. Both plaintiffs had previously resolved individual claims against Meta, TikTok parent ByteDance, and Alphabet's YouTube through prior settlements.

Snap has resolved other scheduled trial dates through out-of-court settlements in recent months rather than arguing the platform design claims in front of a jury.

"The Parties are pleased to have been able to resolve this matter in an amicable manner," a Snap spokesperson told TechCrunch. "We’ve built safeguards, launched safety tutorials, and partnered with experts and because safety is never finished, we remain committed to continually strengthening the safety, privacy, and well-being of our community."

The dispute forms part of thousands of coordinated cases across state and federal jurisdictions asserting that social platforms intentionally relied on behavioral feedback loops to capture young users at the expense of public health.