More than 40 families, many of whom allege their children died from fentanyl poisoning facilitated by Snapchat, participated in a demonstration outside the social media company’s headquarters in Santa Monica, California, on Thursday.
Participants painted the names of children they’ve lost on the street outside Snap Inc.’s buildings, according to reports. The demonstration aimed to raise awareness of the dangers parents say are inherent in the platform’s design and features. Organizers stated nearly all of the families had lost children to fentanyl poisoning allegedly connected to interactions on Snapchat.
Todd Minor, who traveled from Maryland to participate, said his 12-year-old son, Matthew, was among those who died. “Children are dying,” Minor stated, “a lot of us, most of us, know what that means… They just aren’t being truthful.” He added that Snapchat has “designed it to continually have our young people interact with their social media applications.”
The demonstration occurred as a landmark social media trial continues in Los Angeles, where Meta, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat are accused of intentionally designing addictive features that harm the mental health of young people. TikTok and Snap have already settled, but the trial against Meta and YouTube is ongoing. The outcome of the case could impact over a thousand similar lawsuits filed since 2021.
Sarah Gardner, with the Heat Initiative organization, explained that drug dealers are reportedly using Snapchat’s Snap Map feature to connect with potential buyers. Gardner asserted, “Snapchat has known for a long time that their product is killing kids.”
Families arrived by charter bus and blocked the road leading into Snap Inc.’s buildings as part of the protest. They are demanding that Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel and the company implement changes to protect children from predators and fentanyl dealers.
The demonstration follows similar actions by concerned parents and advocates seeking accountability from social media companies regarding the safety of young users. As of Friday, Snapchat has not publicly responded to the demonstration or the specific demands made by the families.
