The Mass Damage & Consumer Foundation is suing Snapchat, marking the second legal case against the social media platform by a Dutch claims organisation in a short period.
The foundation argues that Snapchat prioritises profit over the health and safety of its users. It says the platform’s design encourages addictive behaviour and is seeking legal changes to make the service safer. The foundation is also demanding compensation, according to information published on its website.
Among its demands, the foundation wants users to be able to switch off features such as Streaks, Snapscore and autoplay. It says these features contribute to addiction.
In an interview with AD, foundation chair Lucia Melcherts said the organisation met Snapchat before filing the lawsuit. The summons is due to be filed on 7 September. According to Melcherts, the talks achieved nothing. “They gave us the runaround,” she said.
In June, the Foundation for Market Information Research (SOMI) also launched a class-action lawsuit against Snapchat in the Netherlands. SOMI, which has previously brought claims against TikTok, X and Facebook parent company Meta, likewise criticised Snapchat’s “addictive design”.
@anp | NEWS BRAINPORT
