GoKawiilFederal judge sends Kansas AG's lawsuit against Snap back to state court
Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach sued Snap in state court alleging deceptive practices, including hiding app content from ratings systems and designing Snapchat to be addictive. Snap moved the case to federal court, arguing it acted under federal officer direction through work with DHS and the FDA, but the court granted Kobach's motion to remand the case back to state court.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
Snap's argument that it was effectively acting as a federal agent is notable because private internet companies have historically avoided any claim of government-actor status, which would expose their content moderation to constitutional scrutiny and litigation risk. The commentary suggests Snap's legal strategy here could be seen as inconsistent with the industry's long-standing defensive posture, though the court's ruling focused narrowly on the remand question rather than broader state-actor implications.
- Kansas AG Kobach's lawsuit against Snap over alleged deceptive practices and addictive design will proceed in state court.
- Snap had tried to keep the case in federal court by claiming it acted under federal officer direction via DHS and FDA work.
- The ruling highlights an unusual instance of a private platform arguing government-actor-like status, contrary to industry norms.
Source: blog.ericgoldman.org — Eric Goldman, 2026-09-25
Published there as: “Snap Wants to be a State Actor??–Kansas v. Snap”
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