Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach filed a lawsuit against social media app Snapchat for what he called deceptive practices that harm children.
During the Sept. 23 press release, the lawmaker alleged in the lawsuit that the application engaged in "deceptive" and "unconscionable" acts that resulted in Kansas teenagers being harmed.
Lawsuit Against Snapchat
Kobach said that Snap falsely represents Snapchat as safe for children, but still has content that the lawsuit considers unsafe. The attorney general added that Snapchat had been marketed as a safe place for teenagers.
However, the company knowingly designed an app that had manipulative features that prey on the mental health of young children. Kobach added that the company prioritized profit over safety, noting that the lawsuit holds it accountable for the "devastating harm" caused to families in the state.
The lawsuit also alleges that the platform was intentionally designed to be addictive to kids and that Snap knowingly misrepresented the safety of the app to both parents and consumers. This was by using "12+" and "T for Teen" age ratings, according to WIBW.
Despite these age ratings, Snapchat allegedly featured content that was not for children, such as profanity, sex content, nudity, and others. On top of these accusations, Kobach's lawsuit claims that Snap's own internal investigations revealed various concerns about the app's addictive nature.
Advisor to the Attorney General Joseph Sciarrotta said that their investigation into the app found that Snap's design encouraged addiction and compulsive use. It also had features that were intentionally designed to exploit the vulnerabilities of young minds.
Not a Safe Place for Kids
The attorney general's 40-page lawsuit was filed in Washington County on Kansas' northern border. It contains redactions and compiles information from internal Snap reports, news interviews, and content from the app, the Kansas Reflector reported.
The lawsuit alleges that the company violated the Kansas Consumer Protection Act, noting that harmful content appeared on the app frequently. It also references the death of a teenage boy from Shawnee in 2021. The individual lost his life due to fentanyl poisoning after reportedly buying it from a drug dealer on Snapchat.
Sciarrotta added that other concerning features include Snaptreaks that create "immense social pressure to an infinite scroll that eliminates natural stopping points." He called Snapchat a "digital trap" for children.
Other addictive design features included in the lawsuit are autoplay, push notifications, and interactive metrics to foster behavioral addiction. Additionally, the lawsuit claims that Snap's parental controls are ineffective and are difficult for parents to use, as per KSNT.
