Snapchat subjected to class-action lawsuit over 'inappropriate' content posted on Discover
Snapchat has been subjected to a class-action lawsuit over content posted on its Discover section which may be inappropriate for younger users.
Snapchat discover subjected to class-action lawsuit
The Discover feature, which hosts branded content from partner publishers including the Daily Mail, Buzzfeed and Vice, has been a huge revenue stream for Snapchat, however some of the content has landed the social media giant in trouble due to the adult nature of the articles which are promoted to users of all ages.
One example is a recent article from Cosmopolitan magazine entitled “10 things he thinks when he can't make you orgasm".
The lawsuit argues that Snapchat is regularly promoting such content without warning or consideration over the age users.
"Millions of parents in the United States today are unaware that Snapchat is curating and publishing this profoundly sexual and offensive content to their children," reads the lawsuit, which was filed in Los Angeles.
Snapchat responded with a statement saying: “We are sorry if people were offended. Our Discover partners have editorial independence, which is something that we support."
The Discover tab on the app is highly curated and controlled by Snapchat which has led to criticisms that the company is capable of better regulating the content.
Ben Meiselas, an attorney with Geragos and Geragos, the law firm taking on the suit, told the BBC: “Snapchat is not a passive observer of this content.
"When you target minors the way Snapchat does, you have certain obligations to children and parents when you open the door to this exclusive club that's curated by Snapchat.
"It's not an attack that could be enjoyed by an adult audience. This isn't attacking content providers, it's not attacking the freedom of the press."
With a reported 150 million daily active users, media owners are understandably keen to feature on Discover. Cosmopolitan recently revealed that its channel was averaging around 3 million views a day as a result.