Snapchat’s parent Snap has settled a social media addiction case just days before it was due to go to trial in Los Angeles.
The terms of the settlement have not been announced, but Snap told the BBC the parties were “pleased to have been able to resolve this matter in an amicable manner.”
The 19-year-old woman, only identified as ‘K.G.M’, joined Instagram, parent Meta, ByteDance’s TikTok, and Alphabet’s YouTube in her claim. It has not been announced if any of those parties have settled ahead of the trial, which remains set for 27 January.
The head of Meta, Mark Zuckerberg, is expected to testify, as did Snap CEO Evan Spiegel, prior to the settlement.
Meta, TikTok and Alphabet did not respond to BBC inquiries seeking a reaction to the settlement. The BBC reports that Snap is still a defendant in other social media addiction cases that have been consolidated in the court.
Mark Zuckerberg
Design of social media encourages addiction
The landmark case alleges that the algorithmic design of the platforms left her addicted and affected her mental health.
The widespread use of social media amongst young people has become a significant issue worldwide. In Australia, major concerns about how platforms can lead to issues with mental health have led to the ban on the use of many apps by children under the age of 16.
Responsibility has also been placed on companies to ensure user safety. Companies that fail to comply face penalties of up to $49.5 million.
The minimum age obligation began on 10 December 2025 and requires designated platforms to take “reasonable steps” to prevent Australians under 16 from having accounts.
Julie Inman Grant, Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, has described the first wave of account deactivations as an important starting point, while cautioning that the harder task is stopping new underage accounts from being created and re-created.
The law does not mandate a single verification method. Platforms can use a mix of approaches, including signals from account data and behaviour, as well as age-assurance tools such as facial estimation, depending on their systems and risk settings.