Pennsylvania Sues Snapchat, Accuses App Of Hooking Kids And Allowing Mature Content For Minors

What the lawsuit says

Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday filed suit against Snap Inc. on Tuesday in Philadelphia County Court, accusing the company of engineering Snapchat to keep young users compulsively engaged while downplaying risks to parents. The complaint points to features like Snapstreaks, infinite scrolling, push notifications, autoplay and disappearing messages as design choices that encourage prolonged use and boost ad revenue.

The suit also says Snapchat has millions of users in Pennsylvania, including tens of thousands under 16, and notes that Snap’s North American operations generated more than $5.3 billion in revenue in 2024, according to the complaint. Pennsylvania is asking the court to rule that Snap’s practices violate the state’s Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law, and to impose civil penalties plus injunctions to prevent future harms.

“We contend the app was built to keep kids coming back — often at the expense of their wellbeing — and that parents deserve to know exactly how the platform affects young people,” said a spokesperson for the Attorney General’s office.

How Snapchat allegedly hooks younger users

The complaint drills into specific mechanics it says make Snapchat especially hard for kids to put down. Snapstreaks — the visible count of consecutive days two people have exchanged Snaps — are singled out as a social pressure point that young users pay to protect, since the company offers paid options to restore expired streaks.

Pennsylvania argues that those kinds of incentives create anxiety around maintaining online relationships and directly tie user engagement to monetization. The state claims those features push minors toward more screen time while generating revenue for Snap.

Content safety concerns and an undercover check

The suit also accuses Snap of misrepresenting how teen-friendly its content is. Snapchat’s app ratings in stores — a 13+ tag in Apple’s App Store and a "T for Teen" rating in Google Play and Microsoft stores, the complaint says — don’t reflect the mature material available on the platform.

The Attorney General’s Office says an investigator who set up a Snapchat account with a 13-year-old birthday was able to access content containing profanity, references to drugs and alcohol, and sexual material. That finding is cited as evidence the platform’s public safety labels may understate exposure to adult content for minors.

Snap’s rebuttal

Snap disputed the allegations in a statement to FOX Business, saying the complaint paints an inaccurate picture of how Snapchat operates and how the company approaches teen safety. The company stressed Snapchat’s design philosophy — opening to a camera rather than a content feed — and framed the app as a place for peers to connect and express themselves.

A Snap representative added that the company shares an interest in protecting young people online and is disappointed by the decision to litigate rather than collaborate. The statement said Snap remains focused on strengthening safeguards, tools and educational resources for Snapchat users.

What Pennsylvania is asking for

Beyond a declaration that Snap’s behavior is unlawful under Pennsylvania law, the state wants civil fines and court orders that would restrict how the company designs and markets the app to minors. The complaint seeks injunctive relief to prevent future violations and to force greater transparency about safety measures.

This case follows a similar consumer protection suit the Attorney General filed against TikTok earlier this month over allegedly addictive features and misleading content ratings, signaling a broader state push to hold social platforms accountable for child safety.

Market and legal context

The filing arrives amid growing scrutiny of social apps and their impact on young people. The complaint notes Snap’s large user base in Pennsylvania and its substantial North American revenue, and even includes a snapshot of investor reaction: SNAP traded at 5.92 with a +0.39 change, up +7.05% in the cited report.

Pennsylvania’s legal action aims to test whether state consumer protection law can be used to police feature design and content labeling on major tech platforms. If successful, the suit could influence how social apps balance engagement-driven features with protections for underage users.