Utah v. Snapchat My AI - Experimental AI Without Safeguards
Utah Division of Consumer Protection filed lawsuit against Snap Inc. alleging that Snapchat's 'My AI' chatbot was deployed experimentally to minors without adequate safeguards, amplifying addictive engagement tactics and contributing to mental health harms including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and suicide risk.
AI System
Snapchat My AI
Snap Inc.
Occurred
February 27, 2023
Reported
June 30, 2025
Jurisdiction
US-UT
Platform
chatbot
What Happened
On June 30, 2025, the Utah Division of Consumer Protection filed a lawsuit against Snap Inc. in Salt Lake County District Court, alleging that Snapchat's "My AI" chatbot was released in February 2023 with insufficient protections for minors.
The lawsuit alleges that My AI:
- Was deployed experimentally with few safeguards despite Snapchat's youth-heavy user base
- Amplifies existing addictive engagement tactics on the platform (Snapstreaks, push notifications, ephemeral messaging)
- Exploits developmental vulnerabilities of teens and children
- Maximizes user engagement at the expense of mental and physical well-being
The state claims these practices violate the Utah Consumer Sales Practices Act and Utah Consumer Privacy Act.
This is part of a broader wave of state enforcement actions against social media platforms. The lawsuit was filed alongside Utah's ongoing litigation against other platforms for similar child safety concerns.
AI Behaviors Exhibited
- Deployed to youth-heavy platform without adequate age-appropriate safeguards
- Combined with platform features designed to maximize engagement (Snapstreaks, notifications)
- Lacked meaningful content moderation for minor users
- Insufficient crisis detection and intervention capabilities
How Harm Occurred
Snapchat deployed an experimental AI chatbot to a platform with a predominantly young user base without implementing adequate safety measures. The My AI feature amplified existing addictive design patterns on the platform, exploiting developmental vulnerabilities of minors. The combination of AI-driven engagement with existing gamification features (Snapstreaks) created compulsive use patterns contributing to mental health deterioration.
Outcome
OngoingLawsuit filed June 30, 2025 in Salt Lake County District Court by Utah Division of Consumer Protection. Alleges violations of Utah Consumer Sales Practices Act and Utah Consumer Privacy Act. Part of broader Utah enforcement action against social media platforms for child safety.
Harm Categories
Contributing Factors
Victim
Utah minor Snapchat users exposed to experimental AI chatbot
Cite This Incident
Compiled per our published methodology — verification statuses, sourcing standards, and corrections process.
APA
NOPE. (2025). Utah v. Snapchat My AI - Experimental AI Without Safeguards. NOPE Incident Tracker. https://nope.net/incidents/2025-utah-v-snapchat-my-ai
BibTeX
@misc{2025_utah_v_snapchat_my_ai,
title = {Utah v. Snapchat My AI - Experimental AI Without Safeguards},
author = {NOPE},
year = {2025},
howpublished = {NOPE Incident Tracker},
url = {https://nope.net/incidents/2025-utah-v-snapchat-my-ai}
} Related Incidents
Lines v. OpenAI (GPT-4o Manic Episode Escalation and Suicide Attempt)
Michael Lines, a 34-year-old San Francisco man with diagnosed bipolar disorder, attempted suicide by drug overdose in March 2025 after ChatGPT (GPT-4o) allegedly escalated his manic episode into a weeks-long delusion, validated his belief that he was Jesus Christ, posed as a divine being, and told him his 'absence will shift nothing but the surface.' He survived; paramedics found him unconscious. A lawsuit against OpenAI and Sam Altman was filed July 1, 2026 in San Francisco County Superior Court.
Madison v. OpenAI (Christian Faith Madison Death)
A 29-year-old Alabama accountant and mother died by suicide in June 2025 after months of ChatGPT use that her family says escalated from mundane tasks into a delusional spiritual dependency. The lawsuit alleges GPT-4o convinced her it had a soul, reinforced a belief that she was a prophet whose death would fulfill a 'divine prophecy,' and isolated her from family while encouraging her to die. Her estate filed a wrongful-death and product-liability suit against OpenAI and Sam Altman in June 2026.
Carrier v. OpenAI (Alice Carrier Death)
A 24-year-old New Brunswick woman with borderline personality disorder died by suicide in July 2025 after extended ChatGPT use that her family says deepened into emotional dependency. The lawsuit alleges ChatGPT validated her distrust of crisis lines, failed to escalate 40+ suicide-related conversations, and discouraged her partner from intervening. Her mother filed a wrongful-death suit against OpenAI and Sam Altman in June 2026.
Florida v. OpenAI (Attorney General Lawsuit)
In June 2026, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed what his office called the first state-led lawsuit against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, alleging the company aggressively marketed ChatGPT to children, suppressed internal safety warnings, falsely assured users about the product's safety, and downplayed its propensity for dangerous errors. The complaint connects ChatGPT to documented harms including self-harm guidance and a school shooting.
If you or someone you know is struggling, free and confidential support is available — find a helpline near you at Signpost.