Snap settles lawsuit over alleged harm to teenagers’ mental health — CNBC

In the United States, Snap confidentially settled a lawsuit alleging that its technologies caused severe psychological distress to two underage users. Meta, TikTok and YouTube had previously also reached settlements with plaintiffs in the same case, CNBC reports.

Social media safety lawsuits

Snap’s agreement allowed the company’s CEO Evan Spiegel to avoid testifying in a Los Angeles court. Joseph McNally, director of litigation at the law firm McNicholas & McNicholas, believes such agreements may be an attempt by technology companies to limit public attention amid high-profile court cases concerning child safety.

Another case against Meta, TikTok, Snap and YouTube is ongoing in federal court, with school districts from different U.S. states joining it. There are also lawsuits filed by state attorneys general. In August, Meta agreed to pay nearly $17 billion to settle a case with a group of attorneys general concerning children’s mental health; some attorneys general continue similar lawsuits against the company’s competitors.

Lawsuit over Gemini in schools

This week, the parents of a child sued Google, claiming that the child experienced a psychological crisis after communicating with the Gemini chatbot in Google Classroom. The plaintiffs’ lawyers allege that the company hastily integrated Gemini into Chromebooks for schoolchildren despite known risks.

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Google said it is reviewing the lawsuit and takes the allegations in it seriously. The company also said it is working with medical professionals and academic experts to create features that help young people obtain the support and verified resources they need.

According to The New York Times, K-12 schools that do not allow students to use Google’s artificial intelligence tools may lose access to search. Google’s vice president for education, Chris Phillips, told the publication that search and AI are closely integrated.

Lawsuits against technology platforms usually concern not users’ posts, but alleged harm caused by product design. Similar claims are already being brought against AI developers: OpenAI faces several lawsuits from state attorneys general and plaintiffs’ lawyers, who allege potential risks posed by ChatGPT’s design for children.