Utah suit accuses Snapchat of designing algorithm that 'hooks' children

Utah officials have filed a lawsuit against Snap Inc., owner of image-sharing platform Snapchat, accusing the social media giant of designing an algorithm that makes the app addictive to children. The suit also accuses Snap of enabling the illegal sales of drugs and sexual exploitation. 

Gov. Spencer Cox and Attorney General Derek Brown filed the suit June 30, claiming Snap “profits from unconscionable design features created to addict children to the app, and facilitates illegal drug sales and sextortion.”

Snapchat lets users post pictures that disappear after they are viewed, which the lawsuit claims is a “favored tool for drug dealers and sexual predators targeting children.”

Utah’s lawsuit cites four cases in which men groomed, sexually abused or assaulted children through Snapchat since 2021. It also details the arrest of a drug dealer running a “truly massive” drug ring through Snapchat in 2019.

The lawsuit also alleges that the platform’s artificial intelligence feature, “My AI” — which allows users to send text, pictures and video to it — “comes as states confront the harsh realities of AI technology’s impact on children.” The lawsuit accuses the AI model of “hallucinating false information and giving dangerous advice” to users, including minors.

“Tests on underage accounts have shown My AI advising a 15-year-old on how to hide the smell of alcohol and marijuana and giving a 13-year-old account advice on setting the mood for a sexual experience with a 31-year-old,” the lawsuit states.

“This lawsuit against Snap is about accountability and about drawing a clear line: the well-being of our children must come before corporate profits,” Cox said in a statement issued in conjunction with the filing. “We won’t sit back while tech companies exploit young users.”

The state also accuses Snap of lying to users and parents about the safety of the platform, claiming it violates the Utah Consumer Privacy Act by not informing users of Snap’s data-sharing practices and failing to allow users to opt out of sharing their data. It states that the AI feature still collects user geolocation data even when users choose “Ghost Mode,” which supposedly hides their location from other users.

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

Snap responded by saying that the company has “no higher priority than the safety of Snapchatters” and argued that a majority of the app’s users use the platform to connect with close friends and family.

“We are committed to making Snapchat a safe and fun environment for our community, and have built privacy and safety features into our service from the start,” a Snap spokesperson told The Hill, a political newspaper based in Washington, D.C.

The filing is Utah’s fourth lawsuit against social media companies, including filings against TikTok and Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.

Utah is not the first state to sue Snapchat for its impact on children. In April, Florida sued the platform, making similar allegations about its harm to children.