Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the company that owns Snapchat, claiming the app deceives customers and places children in danger, according to a Feb. 11 news release.

In his complaint, Paxton accused Snapchat of exposing users to mature content. He also cited “addictive” features of the app, such as “Snapstreaks,” or a reward earned from sending at least one snap back and forth with another user every day, as dangerous. Paxton’s lawsuit follows legal action he has taken against other “Big Tech” companies, such as TikTok and Roblox, according to the news release. 

“I will not allow Snapchat to harm our kids by running a business designed to get Texas children addicted to a platform filled with obscene and destructive content,” Paxton said. “Parents have a fundamental right to know the dangers of the apps their kids are using and not be lied to by Big Tech companies.” 

Snapchat is a platform operated by Snap Inc. for users 13 and older that “offers people a different way to communicate,” according to the app’s website. The platform is one of the world’s largest communication platforms, with more than 946 million users nationwide. A Snap Inc. spokesperson wrote in an email that the company is committed to making the app safe. 

“We strongly disagree with the Texas Attorney General’s complaint, which fundamentally distorts how our platform works,” the Snap Inc. spokesperson wrote. “There is no single safety measure or policy that can eliminate every potential risk online — just as there isn’t offline. That’s why we’ve implemented strong safeguards.” 

Conner Carlow, a communication studies sophomore, said he started using Snapchat in middle school and never found the app addictive. 

“You think of any video game ever … and they have streaks and stuff that get you to come back,” Carlow said. “That’s just a typical app feature. I don’t understand why it’s a problem with Snapchat, but not everything else.” 

However, Carlow said he works in a middle school and has noticed the negative side effects of the app, such as cyberbullying against children. He would not recommend Snapchat for children under the age of 13 and instead recommends people get the app once they reach high school. 

“It’s a communication tool, but there’s maybe too much possibility (of) danger for these kids,” Carlow said.