Dutch foundation starts mass claim against Snapchat over “addictive design”

Stichting Onderzoek Marktinformatie (SOMI) has initiated a collective lawsuit against Snapchat in the Netherlands. The foundation, which has also taken legal action against platforms such as TikTok, X, and Meta, accuses Snapchat of using addictive design features and unlawfully processing personal data for targeted advertising purposes.

SOMI says that “Snapchat is deliberately designed to maximise user engagement through features that encourage continuous and prolonged use.”

The foundation points, for example, to a feature such as Snapstreaks, where users are allegedly “put under pressure” to “maintain daily interaction in order to keep their streaks alive.” SOMI argues that such design choices are in breach of European digital legislation.

SOMI accuses Snap’s parent company of processing personal data for targeted advertising without what it considers a lawful basis under the EU’s GDPR rules. The foundation claims that Snapchat creates detailed behavioural and personality-based profiles of users to enable highly personalised advertising. According to SOMI, these profiling practices also included minors, at least up to mid-2023.

SOMI is taking legal action to compel the platform to adjust its operations. It is asking the court to award compensation of up to 1,000 euros for minors impacted by the issue, while adults would be entitled to 750 each.

The foundation has also announced legal action against Snapchat in France. SOMI has sent a formal warning letter demanding that the platform stop its “unlawful practices” in the country within 15 days.