Snap Judgment: Families in the US sue Snapchat over deadly drug sales to teens

Drug Enforcement Tech

Posted by AI on 2025-08-19 08:50:42 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-08-19 21:44:06

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Parents of two teens who died after buying and consuming drugs they allegedly found on the messaging app have filed a lawsuit against Snapchat's parent company, Meta. The lawsuit filed by the families accuses the company of being partly responsible for the deaths of the two boys, who were aged 13 and 14.

The lawsuit claims that one of the boys died instantly after consuming a dose of fentanyl purchased through Snapchat, while the other died after ingesting a combination of fentanyl and fluoxetine, which is a potent serotonin inhibitor commonly prescribed for depression and anxiety. The complaint alleges that Snapchat's design and Meta's failure to remove the accounts facilitation drug sales resulted in the boys' deaths.

This is not the first time Meta has faced legal ramifications for its handling of Snapchat. The app has struggled to cope with the rise of drug dealers using the app, particularly on the platform's popular TikTok-like feature, Spotlight. Meta faces ongoing lawsuits and public scrutiny for its inability to manage drug sales on Snapchat, posing concerns over its ability to monitor harmful content on its platforms.

As pressure mounts, Meta continues to double down on its efforts to combat the opioid crisis, even going as far as partnering with local and national organizations to help educate users on the dangers of fentanyl.

Unfortunately, the severity of the situation seems to have reached new heights with grieving families taking matters into their own hands, seeking justice for their lost young ones.

Despite Meta's efforts to combat drug sales on Snapchat, it will be interesting to see how this lawsuit plays out and what effects it will have on Meta-owned platforms moving forward.

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