State sues Snapchat over alleged addictive features and adult content for kids

Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday sued Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat, on Tuesday, accusing the company of designing the social media app to keep young users compulsively engaged while misleading parents about its safety and age-appropriate content. The lawsuit, filed in Philadelphia County Court, takes aim at features including Snapstreaks, infinite scrolling, push notifications, autoplay and disappearing messages. Pennsylvania alleges the features encourage young people to spend more time on Snapchat, helping the company generate advertising revenue while exposing minors to potential harms. The state alleges Snapchat has millions of users in Pennsylvania, including tens of thousands under 16, while Snap generates millions of dollars in annual revenue from users in the state. Snap’s North American operations generated more than $5.3 billion in revenue in 2024, according to the complaint. The lawsuit also targets how Snapchat monetizes engagement. Users can pay to restore an expired Snapstreak, which tracks the number of consecutive days two people have exchanged Snaps. Pennsylvania alleges younger users can feel pressure to maintain streaks because they associate them with the strength of their real-life friendships. GOOGLE’S YOUTUBE REACHES SETTLEMENT IN LAWSUIT ALLEGING CHILD SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICTION Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday sued Snapchat parent
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