Snap Inc., the company behind Snapchat, has settled a high-profile lawsuit brought by two young plaintiffs who claimed the app was deliberately designed to keep children hooked. The deal, announced Monday by the plaintiffs’ lawyers, ended a closely watched trial in Los Angeles just two days before opening statements were scheduled. The terms are confidential.
What the case was about
The case was a “bellwether,” a test trial meant to show how juries might respond to similar claims in thousands of pending lawsuits against social media companies, according to The Next Web. The two plaintiffs, identified only by their initials, are a teenager from Illinois and a young woman from Mississippi.
They alleged that features such as Snapstreaks, Snapscores, filters and constant push notifications encouraged compulsive use from a young age and contributed to serious mental health struggles, The Hill reported. The companies have denied designing their apps to addict young people.
Jury selection had begun the week before in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Snap CEO Evan Spiegel had been expected to testify for the first time, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram head Adam Mosseri were also expected on the stand, according to The Hill.
Snap was the last defendant standing
Meta, which owns Instagram, was a co-defendant until last week and reached its own settlements with both plaintiffs in October, The Hill reported. The Next Web reported that TikTok and YouTube had also settled with the same plaintiffs, leaving Snap as the only remaining defendant before it, too, settled.
A Snap spokesperson said the parties were pleased to resolve the matter amicably and that Snapchat was built to encourage real conversations with real friends, pointing to its safety tools, tutorials and partnerships with experts. Attorneys for the plaintiffs said the settlements delivered real results for their clients and their families.
The bigger legal fight
This was not the first test of these claims. In March, a Los Angeles jury found Meta and YouTube negligent in the first bellwether case and awarded $6 million in damages; both companies have appealed, according to The Next Web. In August, Meta agreed to settlements worth up to $18 billion with nearly every U.S. state and territory, with about $5 billion depending on whether states reach similar deals with Snap, TikTok and YouTube.
Snap also faces a separate lawsuit from Pennsylvania over Snapchat’s design, The Next Web reported.
Why it matters for families
For parents, the lawsuits put a spotlight on design features many families see every day. Streaks that reward daily use, scores that track activity, and notifications that pull kids back in are not accidents; they are choices made by product designers. Whatever the courts decide, families can make their own choices now:
- Review notification settings together and turn off nonessential alerts.
- Talk about streaks. Help kids understand that breaking a streak is fine, and that the feature exists to keep them coming back.
- Set device-free times, such as meals and the hour before bed. Our story on screen-free dinners has encouragement.
- Watch for warning signs such as withdrawal, sleep problems or mood changes, and talk with a doctor or counselor if you are concerned.
States are also acting. Read our report on New York’s new rules for AI chatbots that talk with kids.
What to watch next
Lawyers for the plaintiffs said the next group of bellwether trials is scheduled for March 2027. Upstormed News will follow those cases and any new state actions on kids’ online safety.
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What rules does your family use for social media? Share what works for you in the comments.
Sources: The Hill, “Snap settles addiction lawsuit two days before Los Angeles trial” (November 2, 2026); The Next Web, “Snap settles teen social media addiction case days before trial” (November 2, 2026); Just Security, “Early Edition: November 3, 2026” (November 3, 2026)
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