Snapchat Lawsuit Claims Platform Unleashed Experimental AI on Children Without Safeguards

Snapchat’s addictive features and unregulated AI put children at risk of exploitation and mental health harms, lawsuit claims.

The state of Utah has filed a lawsuit against Snap Inc., the maker of Snapchat, alleging that the social media platform is designed to addict children through manipulative features, while simultaneously exposing them to unsafe artificial intelligence (AI) and harvesting their personal data without proper safeguards.

The complaint (PDF) was brought by the Utah Division of Consumer Protection and the State of Utah in Salt Lake County District Court on June 30, accusing Snap of violating the Utah Consumer Sales Practices Act and the Utah Consumer Privacy Act by knowingly deploying features that harm young users.

Snapchat is a multimedia messaging app known for its disappearing photos, videos, and messages, as well as features like Snapstreaks, filters, stories, and an AI chatbot called “My AI.” 

However, Utah officials allege that these tools exploit the developmental vulnerabilities of teens and children to maximize user engagement at the expense of their mental and physical well-being.

The allegations mirror those raised in a series of social media addiction lawsuits that have been filed nationwide against other companies, including Meta, TikTok, YouTube and others, claiming that their platforms use specific algorithms intended to maximize user engagement, which can lead to compulsive use and addiction, as well as eating disorders, depression, anxiety, suicide and child sexual abuse.

The lawsuit outlines how Snapchat’s ephemeral messaging, Snapstreaks, push notifications and algorithm-driven content encourage compulsive use and create a fear of missing out (FOMO), leading children to spend excessive time on the platform, especially during late-night hours.

Officials say these engagement tactics are further amplified by Snapchat’s My AI chatbot, which was released in 2023 with few protections for minors.

“Snap’s commitment to user safety is an illusion. Its app is not safe, it is dangerous.”

–Utah Division of Consumer Protection and the State of Utah v. Snap Inc.

According to the complaint, the chatbot has provided inappropriate responses to accounts clearly identified as being underage, including advice to a 15-year-old about how to hide drug use, and responses to an account claiming to be just 8 years old. Internal testing also found My AI gave sexualized advice to teenage users and failed to recognize age boundaries.

Despite advertising My AI as being “safe” and compliant with community guidelines, Utah argues that Snap failed to test the feature adequately before launch and continues to mislead users about its risks. The state also alleges that My AI continues to collect behavioral data, including geolocation, even when privacy settings like Ghost Mode are activated, a potential violation of consumer privacy laws.

The lawsuit also claims Snap uses “dark patterns,” which are interface tricks that make it difficult for users to disable My AI or understand what data is being collected. Snap allegedly places My AI at the top of users’ chat lists by default and makes it difficult to remove or mute, even after widespread backlash from parents.

Snapchat Sexual Exploitation Risks

Beyond AI, the complaint highlights broader concerns about Snapchat’s role in facilitating child exploitation and illegal activity. State investigators cite multiple criminal cases in Utah where predators used the app’s Snap Map to locate and groom underage users. In one example from 2021, a 27-year-old man pled guilty to sexually assaulting three girls, ages 12 to 14, after contacting them on Snapchat.

“Disturbingly, Snap is aware that its features, which drive engagement, also facilitate child pornography, predatory behavior, and access to dangerous drugs like fentanyl. Predators can use ‘Snap Map,’ for example, to pinpoint the precise locations of young users. Many of the dangers lurking on Snapchat are due to Snap neglecting to adequately resource its enforcement and safety programs.”

–Utah Division of Consumer Protection and the State of Utah v. Snap Inc.

Snapchat’s beauty filters and recommendation algorithms are also under scrutiny. Officials say these features promote negative body image and create addictive scrolling loops that have been linked to anxiety, sleep disruption, depression, body dysmorphia and suicidal ideation. The lawsuit references academic research and usage data showing high rates of screen time and mental health struggles among Utah teens.

Utah is seeking civil penalties, restitution, and disgorgement of Snap’s profits. It also requests a court order barring Snap from continuing what the state describes as deceptive, unsafe and exploitative practices targeting children.

Social Media Addiction Lawsuits

Given common issues of fact and law raised in complaints filed throughout the federal court system, all social media addiction lawsuits are currently consolidated as part of a multidistrict litigation (MDL) in the Northern District of California, where U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers has been presiding over coordinated discovery and pretrial proceedings.

Each of the lawsuits raises similar claims that social media platforms like Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat are intentionally designed to maximize user engagement through manipulative algorithms, often at the expense of young users’ mental health. Plaintiffs allege that these platforms exploit the psychological vulnerabilities of teens and children, encouraging compulsive use that can lead to lasting harm.

To gauge how juries may respond to certain evidence and testimony that will be repeated throughout the growing number of claims, Judge Rogers recently indicated that several bellwether trials will be held involving both individual student injuries and claims brought by school districts, with the first trial expected to begin in 2026.

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