Snap has reached a settlement with two teenagers who accused the company and other social media platforms of using addictive design features, days before their case was due to go to trial in Los Angeles.
The terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Lawyers representing the plaintiffs announced the settlement on Monday, Reuters reported.
Jury selection began last week, with the trial scheduled to commence on Wednesday, according to Hillel Aron of Courthouse News Service.
The teenagers had previously reached settlements with Meta, TikTok and Google-owned YouTube, leaving Snap as the only remaining defendant in the case.
According to Courthouse News Service, Snap Chief Executive Officer Evan Spiegel and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg were expected to testify during the trial.
The proceedings would have marked Snap’s first trial in the wider litigation over allegations that social media platforms deliberately design their products to encourage addictive use.
The court has identified the plaintiffs only by their initials. Reuters reported that S.J. is a 16-year-old girl from Illinois, while K.D.B. is an 18-year-old woman from Mississippi. Both said they began using YouTube as early as age three and other social media platforms at about nine.
The plaintiffs blamed features such as autoplay and infinite scrolling for encouraging compulsive use of the platforms. They alleged that prolonged use contributed to depression, anxiety and eating disorders.
However, the companies have denied deliberately designing their applications to make young users addicted.
In a statement, Snap said both parties were satisfied with the amicable resolution of the dispute.
The company added that it had introduced safety measures, developed safety tutorials and collaborated with experts to protect users.
