Snapchat parent Snap Inc. has settled lawsuits brought by two young women who accused the platform of deliberately encouraging addictive behavior and contributing to their mental health problems, ending the second Los Angeles social media addiction trial during jury selection.
The agreements, announced Monday, November 2, 2026, resolve claims brought by a 16-year-old Illinois girl and an 18-year-old Mississippi woman who alleged that Snapchat’s design contributed to depression, anxiety and eating disorders. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Snap was the last company still facing trial after Meta reached settlements with both plaintiffs last week. TikTok and Google’s YouTube had resolved their claims earlier, leaving all four companies out of the proceeding before opening statements scheduled for November 4. Jury selection began October 28 in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
The agreements also eliminate an anticipated courtroom appearance by Snap CEO Evan Spiegel, who had been expected to testify about the platform’s design and safety practices. Jurors had been preparing to hear claims that Snapchat’s features encouraged compulsive use among children and teenagers.
The young women, identified in court records as S.J. and K.D.B., alleged that social media companies designed features to keep users returning to their platforms. Their lawsuits cited autoplay, infinite scrolling, notifications, and Snapchat’s Snapstreaks, which track consecutive days of communication between users. Both said they began using social media as children and developed compulsive habits that contributed to mental health problems.
Their lawsuits also accused the companies of failing to adequately warn young users about the potential risks associated with their platforms.
Snap has disputed the allegations and previously pointed to safeguards, educational resources and safety tools intended to protect younger users. Following the settlements, the company said the parties were pleased to have resolved the matter amicably.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Carolyn Kuhl was overseeing the lawsuits, which were selected from thousands of similar cases to test how juries might respond to allegations that social media companies knowingly designed addictive platforms.
The first Los Angeles bellwether trial ended in March when jurors found Meta and YouTube negligent in a case brought by a young woman who alleged their platforms contributed to her mental health problems. The jury awarded $6 million in damages, assigning 70% to Meta and 30% to YouTube. Both companies have challenged the verdict.
Further Los Angeles bellwether trials are scheduled to begin in March 2027, meaning the broader fight over whether social media platforms can be held liable for alleged harms to young users is far from over.
