Kansas takes legal action against Snapchat over teen mental‑health harm

The state of Kansas has sued Snap Inc., the owners of social media platform Snapchat for harming teenage users.

The lawsuit filed in Washington County by the state’s attorney general on 23 September alleges that Snapchat is not safe for teens as it has “manipulative” features that prey on the mental health of children.

A violation of Kansas Consumer Protection Act

The attorney general, Kris Kobach said Snap Inc. has placed profit over safety of users in violation of the Kansas Consumer Protection Act.

The violations cut across the app’s age rating from 12 years old and up, app store disclaimers citing infrequent or mild profanity, mature and suggestive themes, sexual content, nudity and substance use or references, etc.

According to the filing which is backed by information from internal Snap reports, news interviews and content from the app, such inappropriate content categories “appear frequently and are intense on Snapchat.”

Also noting the death of a teenage boy from Shawnee in 2021 of poisoning from fentanyl bought on Snapchat, the lawsuit accused the platform of supporting drug deals. 

“Numerous young people, including young people in Washington County, Kansas, have been exposed to drug dealers on Snapchat offering illicit or regulated drugs for sale. Such content on Snapchat includes posts featuring lists of drugs and prices.”

Snapchat responds 

In response, a Snap spokesperson said that the safety of users is a top priority and the company has incorporated privacy and safety features into the app since its inception, but does not have absolute control over every incident.

“Unfortunately, the reality is this — there is no single safety feature or policy that can eliminate every potential threat online or in the world around us.” 

Interestingly, the company has conducted research into the experiences of Gen Z teens and young adults from six countries including the United States, on online platforms and found that online risk was at a three-year high for Gen Z users in 2024.