Snapchat sued in the Netherlands over addictive app design

The Stichting Massaschade & Consument (SMC) has filed a lawsuit against Snap, the company behind Snapchat, in the Amsterdam District Court. The legal action targets the platform's allegedly addictive design, which the foundation claims prioritizes profit over the health and safety of its users.

SMC seeks to make the platform safer by demanding that features such as ‘streaks’, ‘snapscore’, and ‘autoplay’ be made optional. The foundation argues that these features create a ‘fear of missing out’ and turn social interaction into a perceived obligation. According to SMC chair Lucia Melcherts, addiction is not a side effect of such apps but a business model.

Internal documents cited in the context of the case suggest that CEO Evan Spiegel has acknowledged that the ‘streak’ feature can cause anxiety in users. Furthermore, the company's own risk reports under European platform regulations have acknowledged that social app designs can be addictive to teenagers. Snapchat has over six million active users in the Netherlands, reaching more than 90% of the 13-to-24-year-old demographic.