“The new lawsuit against Snapchat: families of more than 50 overdose victims accuse the app of enabling drug dealers. Will Reeve has the details. Good morning, Will.”
“Good morning, Lindsay. These families say Snapchat was the tool dealers used to connect with their children, sell their illicit drugs, and then leave close to no trace. In the throes of the opioid epidemic and fentanyl crisis, they’re desperate for something to be done.”
“This morning, Snapchat is sued by the families of 50 victims of drug overdoses, accusing the social media giant of enabling dealers to sell fake prescription pills laced with deadly doses of fentanyl to minors and young adults.
Matthew P. Bergman: “They all lost a child to fentanyl poisoning through counterfeit drugs obtained through Snap—not through Instagram, not through TikTok, but through Snap, says the lawyer for the families. This isn’t an internet problem; this isn’t a social media problem; this is a Snapchat problem.”
“According to the lawsuit obtained by ABC News, from 2020 to 2022, Snapchat was allegedly a conduit for over 75 percent of the fentanyl poisoning deaths of children between the ages of 13 to 18 who connected with a dealer over social media. The dealers are selling what they say are prescription drugs, but they are often counterfeit and contain lethal levels of fentanyl.”
“No parents should have to go through this,’ says Fran Humphrey. Her 20-year-old daughter, Sophia, was sold fake Percocet pills through Snapchat in June of 2021. Two days later, she was found unresponsive in her bed. Immediately, law enforcement took her phone, and the detective called shortly after and said they were able to see that she had purchased it from a Snapchat dealer.”
“The lawsuit claims Snapchat’s features, including disappearing messages, appeal to drug dealers, making their illegal activity hard to track. In a statement, Snap Inc. told ABC News it cannot comment on active litigation but claims it is using ‘cutting-edge technology to proactively find and shut down drug dealers’ accounts’ and is ‘continually expanding its support for law enforcement investigations.’”
“The lawyer for these families tells ABC News some of the changes to Snapchat they’re seeking include getting rid of the disappearing messages feature, improving detection of drug dealers, permanently removing them from the app, and notifying parents and children of what he termed this ‘clear and present danger.”
Legally Edited and Fact-Checked by:
Matthew P. Bergman, Founding Attorney, SMVLC
