Snap Inc.—Families of 60+ young people who died from fentanyl purchased via Snapchat sued Snap Inc.
Relatives of over 60 young people who died from fentanyl overdoses sued Snap Inc., alleging Snapchat's disappearing messages feature facilitated illegal drug trade targeting minors. Victims included Cooper Root (16, Texas), Donevan Hester (16, Washington), and Nicholas Cruz Burris (15, Kansas). In January 2024, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lawrence Riff allowed the lawsuit to proceed, overruling Snap's objections to 12 claims including negligence, defective product, and wrongful death. Internal Snap emails cited in court noted the company received approximately 10,000 sextortion reports per month, described as 'only a fraction of the total abuse.'
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Child Safety | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Consumer Protection | -against | secondary | -0.50 |
| Digital Safety for Vulnerable Users | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.687 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (critical ×2) × confidence (0.82)× agency (negligent ×0.5)
Evidence (4 signals)
California appeals court denied Snap's petition for review, allowing fentanyl death lawsuit to proceed to discovery
On December 5, 2024, the California Court of Appeals denied Snap's petition for discretionary review, permitting plaintiffs to proceed with discovery, review internal documents, and take sworn testimony. The ruling was described as the first time a social media company has been subjected to claims of facilitating illegal and fatal drug sales.
Bloomberg investigation detailed Snapchat's role in teen fentanyl crisis and disappearing messages enabling drug trade
Bloomberg's investigation documented how Snapchat's disappearing messages feature made the platform popular with drug dealers, enabling transactions within one minute of starting the app. The feature made it difficult for law enforcement to track evidence of illegal drug sales targeting minors.
Judge allowed lawsuit by families of 60+ fentanyl overdose victims to proceed against Snap Inc.
In January 2024, LA Superior Court Judge Lawrence Riff allowed the wrongful death lawsuit to proceed, overruling Snap's objections to 12 claims. Internal emails noted Snap received 10,000 sextortion reports monthly, described as 'only a fraction of total abuse.'
National Crime Prevention Council commended court ruling, criticized Snapchat's design enabling faceless drug deals
NCPC praised the court ruling allowing the fentanyl death lawsuit to proceed, criticizing Snapchat's structural design that 'enables faceless drug deals with disappearing text messages and other features that make it difficult for law enforcement to catch dealers.'