Snap, the parent company of Snapchat, has settled a social media addiction lawsuit just days before trial. The case was scheduled to start in Los Angeles.
Lawyers announced the settlement during a California Superior Court hearing. Snap later said all parties resolved the dispute amicably. The terms of the deal remain confidential.
Other Platforms Continue Facing Trial
Other defendants include Meta, which owns Instagram, TikTok parent ByteDance, and Google parent Alphabet. None of these companies have settled.
The plaintiff, a 19-year-old woman identified as K.G.M., claimed platform algorithms caused addiction and negatively affected her mental health.
Because the remaining companies did not settle, the trial will continue against them. Jury selection is scheduled to begin on 27 January.
Top Executives Expected in Court
Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify during the trial. Snap chief executive Evan Spiegel had also been scheduled to testify before the settlement.
Meta, TikTok, and Alphabet did not respond to media inquiries seeking comment on the settlement.
Snap remains a defendant in other social media addiction lawsuits. Courts have consolidated those cases into a single legal action.
Legal Protections Face Scrutiny
The lawsuits could challenge a long-standing legal shield for social media companies.
Companies argue that Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act protects them from liability. The law shields platforms from responsibility for user-posted content.
Plaintiffs argue that platform design actively drives addiction. They highlight algorithms and notifications as features that shape user behavior.
Social media companies deny responsibility for alleged harms. They say evidence does not prove connections to depression or eating disorders.
