The state of Texas has initiated legal proceedings against Snap, Inc., the parent company of the widely-used social media platform Snapchat, alleging that the company has misled parents about the app’s safety and exposed children to addictive features and inappropriate content.
According to the lawsuit, Snap, Inc. is accused of violating the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Consumer Protection Act (DTPA) by not sufficiently warning parents and consumers about the risks associated with the app. The state claims that Snapchat misrepresents itself as a safe environment for young users, thereby endangering children.
The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday, asserts that Snap, Inc. has knowingly misrepresented the safety of Snapchat to parents and consumers while promoting the app as suitable for children aged 12 and older. The allegations indicate that users are frequently exposed to harmful and mature content, including profanity, sexual themes, nudity, and drug references.
Additionally, the lawsuit highlights various features of the app, such as Snapstreaks, Snapscore, Snap Map, Infinite Scroll, and My AI Chatbot, which are said to encourage frequent use and contribute to the app’s addictive nature, potentially harming young users.
Violations of the SCOPE Act
The lawsuit also points to three specific violations of the Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment (SCOPE) Act by Snap, Inc.:
- Failure to implement a commercially reasonable method for parents or guardians to verify their identities.
- Unlawfully sharing, disclosing, and selling personal identifying information of known minors.
- Neglecting to provide adequate parental tools for managing accounts of known minors.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton emphasized the importance of holding Snapchat accountable, stating, “I will not allow Snapchat to harm our kids by running a business designed to get Texas children addicted to a platform filled with obscene and destructive content. Parents have a fundamental right to know the dangers of the apps their kids are using and not be lied to by Big Tech companies.”
Background on Legal Action
This lawsuit follows previous legal actions taken by the Texas Attorney General’s Office against several social media platforms, including TikTok, Roblox, Reddit, Instagram, and Discord, regarding their privacy and safety practices for minors. These investigations were also grounded in the SCOPE Act and the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA).
Understanding the SCOPE Act and TDPSA
The SCOPE Act prohibits digital service providers from sharing or selling personal information of minors without parental consent and mandates that companies offer tools for parents to manage their children’s privacy settings. The TDPSA establishes strict notice and consent requirements for companies that collect and utilize minors’ personal data.
Seeking Accountability
Texas is pursuing civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation, alongside a permanent injunction that could necessitate changes to how Snapchat markets and rates its app. The state aims to ensure that Snapchat discloses its “addictive” design features and enhances its parental verification and oversight tools in adherence to the protections outlined in the SCOPE Act.
A jury trial has been requested in Collin County district court as part of this legal challenge.
