Snap Inc., the company behind Snapchat, faces lawsuits from families nationwide and from at least eight states claiming the app was designed to keep teens hooked and exposed them to serious harm. Snap has never faced a jury in one of these cases. Its first trial is set for October 28, 2026 in Los Angeles.
If Snapchat use led to depression, an eating disorder, self-harm or a suicide attempt, your family may qualify for compensation.
The Snapchat Lawsuits at a Glance
- Courts: MDL No. 3047 in the Northern District of California and the coordinated Social Media Cases in Los Angeles (JCCP No. 5255)
- Injuries claimed: depression, anxiety, eating disorders, body dysmorphia, self-harm and suicide
- Settlements: K.G.M. and R.K.C. before trial, and $8 million in the first school district case
- Next trial: October 28, 2026 in Los Angeles, with Meta
What the Lawsuits Allege
- Snapstreaks and rewards that plaintiffs say pressure teens to open the app every day.
- Late-night notifications.
- Lenses and filters that smooth skin and change facial features, which plaintiffs link to body image problems.
- Disappearing messages, Snap Map and Quick Add friend suggestions, which the lawsuits say exposed minors to adults and to drug sellers.
- Weak age verification and parental controls, and barriers to deleting an account.
What Snap’s Records Show
New Mexico’s lawsuit, filed in September 2024, quoted internal Snap records. According to the unredacted complaint, a 2022 executive email acknowledged doubts that Snap actually verifies users’ ages, an employee wrote that Snap should have more addicting features like Snapstreaks, and only about a third of 1 percent of teens were linked to Snap’s parental supervision tool. In April 2025, a New Mexico judge rejected Snap’s request to dismiss the case.
Cases Against Snap
- January 20, 2026: Snap settled K.G.M. a week before the first Los Angeles trial.
- May 2026: Snap paid $8 million in the Breathitt County School District case, according to records reported by Reuters.
- July 20, 2026: Snap settled R.K.C. before trial.
- August 2026: P.M.Y. dropped her claims against Snap, Meta and Google.
- October 28, 2026: Snap and Meta go to trial in the cases of S.J. and K.D.B. Snap chief executive Evan Spiegel is expected to testify.
State Lawsuits Against Snap
New Mexico (2024), Nevada (2024), Florida (2025), Utah (2025), Kansas (2025), Texas (2026), Arkansas (2026) and Pennsylvania (2026) have sued Snap. The states claim Snapchat is designed to be addictive and is less safe for children than Snap has told parents. Any money from these cases goes to the states, not to families.
Who May Have a Claim Against Snap
A young person may have a claim if they became addicted to the app before age 18, are now 25 or younger, used it heavily (typically three or more hours a day), and were diagnosed and treated for depression, severe anxiety, an eating disorder, body dysmorphia, self-harm, suicidal thoughts or a suicide attempt. Families who lost a child to suicide at age 21 or younger may have a wrongful death claim. Compensation in these claims may cover medical and counseling expenses, past and future, along with pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life.
If you or your child is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
Common Questions
Can I still file a claim against Snap?
Yes. Snap has settled cases set for trial, but no global settlement for families has been announced, and new claims are being filed.
Has Snap ever lost a trial?
Not yet. Snap settled or was dropped from each personal injury case set for trial so far. The October 28, 2026 trial in Los Angeles is set to be the first time a jury hears claims against Snap.
My child used Snapchat and Instagram. Which company would a claim be against?
Both. Claims can name every company whose app contributed to the harm.
Are claims about fentanyl purchased through Snapchat part of these lawsuits?
Those are a separate group of cases. This site focuses on addiction and mental health injuries to young users.