Arkansas attorney general sues Snapchat parent, alleges platform endangers children

Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin filed a lawsuit against the parent company of Snapchat, accusing the company of putting children at risk and misleading parents about the app's safety features.

Griffin said the platform’s mechanics — including features such as snap streaks and disappearing messages — are designed to keep young users engaged and can "contribute to problems that range from anxiety and depression to opening doors for online predators," according to the statements summarized in the transcript. Griffin added, "Rather than designing a platform safe for minors, Snap built one that exploits them and exposes them to a variety of foreseeable harms."

The filing is the second lawsuit Griffin announced this week against major online platforms. Two days earlier, Griffin said he planned to sue the companies behind Roblox and Discord. He said the goal of the cases is to force stronger protections for children and give parents more transparency about the risks young users face on those apps.

The transcript of the announcement does not record any response from Snap, Roblox or Discord.

The actions outlined by Griffin seek to change how the platforms operate with respect to minors and to increase parental transparency; the transcript does not specify the precise legal claims, the court or timeline for the lawsuits.