Before one of three massive tech addiction lawsuits, Snap Inc. has agreed to settle a case that claimed the company – among other social media firms – intentionally addicted children.

The financial terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

Santa Monica-based Snap was named alongside other social media giants like Meta Platforms Inc., YouTube and TikTok in a landmark social media addiction case that began at the Los Angeles County Superior Court in early February. The plaintiffs claim that certain features on these apps, like hyper-specific algorithms tailored to users’ taste, auto playing videos and infinite scrolling has led teens and children to experience depression, engage in self-harming behaviors and get diagnosed with eating disorders.

“What you see on these platforms has everything to do, at least in the context of social media, with what is selected to grab your attention,” said Ramesh Srinivasan, a professor at the department of information studies at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Three lawsuits were selected from thousands of cases brought forward by state attorney generals, students and schools to determine how future addiction cases against social media companies will play out.

Social media scrutiny

These lawsuits are not the first time social media platforms have been put under the microscope.

In 2021, following an announcement that Facebook would roll out an Instagram platform specifically dedicated to children under 13, former Meta employee Frances Haugen leaked research that suggested Facebook knew its platform negatively affected users. Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg repeatedly testified in front of the U.S. Congress on claims that Facebook spread damaging, harmful content regarding misinformation or hate speech.

While social media companies have argued in the past that their platforms must uphold values of free speech, Srinivasan said that was a false equivalency due to algorithms.