Snap settled two teens' claims over Snapchat during jury selection, so no jury will weigh whether the app's design harmed young users.
Snap has settled the claims of two teenagers who said Snapchat's design contributed to their mental-health problems. The deal came during jury selection in a Los Angeles trial, so no jury will hear the evidence. The terms were not disclosed. Snap is the parent company of Snapchat.
The case was a bellwether, meaning an early test that helps both sides judge how similar claims might fare. No verdict was reached on whether the app's design caused the harms alleged or whether Snap was legally responsible. The settlement does not show the allegations were true, and Snap did not admit liability.
The teens had already settled with Meta, TikTok and YouTube before the trial. Their lawyers said those settlements would help them keep pursuing accountability across the industry. TechCrunch reported that Snap said the parties were pleased to resolve the matter amicably. Reuters reported that the company had built safeguards, launched safety tutorials and partnered with experts.
Court documents named the plaintiffs as S.J., 16, from Illinois, and K.D.B., 18, from Mississippi. They said they started using YouTube at about age three and other platforms, including Snapchat, around age nine. They linked compulsive habits to features such as autoplay and infinite scrolling. CBS News reported their lawyers said the Snapchat claims also covered:
These remain allegations, not findings by a court. The companies deny designing their platforms to addict young people and say they have taken steps to make their apps safe. Before trial, Snap argued that Snapchat differs from traditional social media because it opens to a camera, not a feed of other people's posts, Reuters reported.
In an earlier Los Angeles case, a jury found Meta and YouTube negligent and awarded damages to a young woman. That ruling did not decide anything about Snap. Snap and other companies still face thousands of US lawsuits from individuals and public bodies alleging harm to young users. The next bellwether trials are scheduled to begin in March 2027, Reuters reported, citing the plaintiffs' lawyers.
Because Snap settled, there is no ruling on whether Snapchat is safe or unsafe. The case does not change how the app works. For families, the settings you choose and the rules you set at home still matter.
Regulators are looking at the same features. The UK Government plans to bar social-media services from under-16s from spring 2027. For 16- and 17-year-olds, it plans to turn off autoplay and personalized feeds by default. A UK government-commissioned study published on January 20, 2026 said high-quality evidence of cause and effect between children's mental health and digital technology use remains limited.
The Snap settlement proves nothing about Snapchat's safety, so a teen's settings and family rules are still the main protection.
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