Snapchat Parent Company Settles Social Media Addiction Lawsuit

Published: January 23, 2026

By India McCarty

Snapchat parent company Snap has settled a social media addiction lawsuit days before it was set to go to trial.

“[We’re] pleased to have been able to resolve this matter in an amicable manner,” a spokesperson for Snap told the BBC. The details of the settlement were not disclosed.

Snap reaches settlement in social media addiction lawsuit https://t.co/L2Obm6Hxx5

— TechCrunch (@TechCrunch) January 21, 2026

Other defendants in the case include Instagram parent company Meta, ByteDance’s TikTok and Alphabet’s YouTube; none have settled, so the trial is still set to move forward later this month. Meta head Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify.

The plaintiff is a 19-year old woman identified by the initials K.G.M. She alleges that the platforms’ algorithmic design got her addicted and ultimately affected her mental health.

K.G.M.’s suit claims she’s been addicted to social media for over a decade and that her use of the platforms “has caused anxiety, depression and body dysmorphia.”

This case is the first of three “bellwether” trials, consolidating thousands of lawsuits. Last year, a Los Angeles judge ruled that the platforms and their design could be held responsible for harm, despite the fact that tech companies have previously been able to hide behind section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. This law exempts platforms from legal liability for content generated by users.

Beasley Allen, a law firm defending the plaintiffs, shared a statement about the profound impact these cases could have on social media as a whole.

“If the lawsuits succeed, they could lead to billions of dollars in damages, sweeping reforms in platform design, and new regulations governing how tech companies interact with minors,” their statement explained. “The litigation is being compared to past landmark cases against Big Tobacco and opioid manufacturers — industries that were held accountable for public health harms after years of denial.”

This isn’t the only lawsuit that alleges these social media platforms are knowingly causing harm to users. Last year, newly unsealed documents quoted employees’ conversations about the addictive qualities of their apps.

“IG [Instagram] is a drug…we’re basically pushers,” Meta researchers wrote in an internal chat, per CNN.

Meanwhile, Snapchat executives admitted that users who “have the Snapchat addiction have no room for anything else. Snap dominates their life.”

These lawsuits have the potential to change social media, changing the way the platforms are designed and, hopefully, creating legislation that will regulate Big Tech’s interactions with young people.

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