Pennsylvania sues Snapchat over alleged addictive design, teen safety claims

Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday sued Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat, on Tuesday, accusing the company of designing the social media app to keep young users compulsively engaged while misleading parents about its safety and age-appropriate content.

The lawsuit, filed in Philadelphia County Court, takes aim at features including Snapstreaks, infinite scrolling, push notifications, autoplay and disappearing messages. Pennsylvania alleges the features encourage young people to spend more time on Snapchat, helping the company generate advertising revenue while exposing minors to potential harms.

The state alleges Snapchat has millions of users in Pennsylvania, including tens of thousands under 16, while Snap generates millions of dollars in annual revenue from users in the state. Snap’s North American operations generated more than $5.3 billion in revenue in 2024, according to the complaint.

The lawsuit also targets how Snapchat monetizes engagement. Users can pay to restore an expired Snapstreak, which tracks the number of consecutive days two people have exchanged Snaps. Pennsylvania alleges younger users can feel pressure to maintain streaks because they associate them with the strength of their real-life friendships.

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Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday sued Snapchat parent Snap Inc. over allegations involving the platform’s design and safety for younger users. (istock / iStock)

“Snapchat has designed its platform to lure children into constant, compulsive use that is detrimental to healthy adolescent development,” Sunday said in a statement. “This lawsuit demands that Snapchat finally admit publicly that its platform is highly addictive and that it takes real action to keep kids safe.”

Pennsylvania separately accuses Snap of misleading consumers about the content available to minors. 

According to the complaint, information provided by Snap results in Snapchat receiving a 13+ rating in Apple’s App Store and a “T for Teen” rating in the Google Play and Microsoft stores. The state alleges those ratings do not accurately reflect the mature content available through the platform.

The complaint says an investigator with the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office created a Snapchat account using a 13-year-old’s birthday and found the account could access content containing profanity, drug and alcohol references and sexual material.

Snap disputed the allegations in a statement provided to FOX Business.

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Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday sued Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat, on Tuesday. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images, File / Getty Images)

“The allegations against Snap fundamentally misrepresent our platform and our approach to teen safety,” the statement read. “Snapchat was designed differently from the beginning: it opens to a camera, not a feed of content, and was built to encourage self-expression and authentic connection with friends,” the statement read.

A representative for the company added: “We share the Attorney General’s commitment to protecting young people online and are disappointed they have chosen litigation rather than working with us toward that shared goal,” the statement continued. “We remain focused on strengthening and enhancing the safeguards, tools and educational resources that support the safety, privacy and well-being of all Snapchatters.”

Pennsylvania is asking the court to declare Snap’s practices unlawful under the state’s Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law, impose civil penalties and issue injunctions aimed at preventing future violations.

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The lawsuit follows a similar consumer protection case Sunday filed against TikTok earlier this month over alleged addictive features and content safety ratings.