Published: January 23, 2026 3D graphic by Alexander Shatov via Unsplash By India McCarty Snapchat parent company Snap has settled a social media addiction lawsuit days before it was set to go to trial. “[We’re] pleased to have been able to resolve this matter in an amicable manner,” a spokesperson for Snap told the BBC. The details of the settlement were not disclosed. Snap reaches settlement in social media addiction lawsuit https://t.co/L2Obm6Hxx5 — TechCrunch (@TechCrunch) January 21, 2026 Related: ABC News Equates Social Media Use to Tobacco Addiction Other defendants in the case include Instagram parent company Meta, ByteDance’s TikTok and Alphabet’s YouTube; none have settled, so the trial is still set to move forward later this month. Meta head Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify. The plaintiff is a 19-year old woman identified by the initials K.G.M. She alleges that the platforms’ algorithmic design got her addicted and ultimately affected her mental health. K.G.M.’s suit claims she’s been addicted to social media for over a decade and that her use of the platforms “has caused anxiety, depression and body dysmorphia.” This case is the first of three “bellwether” trials, consolidating thousands of lawsuits. Last year, a Los Angeles judge
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