Toronto, Ontario — Snapchat has removed a filter that allowed for the speed that the user is going at to be displayed in their videos and photos.
The social media app removed the speed feature after a lawsuit was filed by parents of three teenagers who were killed in a car crash. It is believed that the speed filter encouraged the teens to drive faster than normal.
The accident happened in 2017 and involved two 17-year-olds Jason Davis and Hunter Morby, and 20-year-old Landon Brown. Right before the accident, Brown was recording a video on Snapchat with the speed filter on and the vehicle was going as fast as 197 km/h (123 mph). At 181 km/h (113 mph) the car ran off the road and hit a tree, resulting in the deaths of the three boys.
Brown and Morby’s parents filed a lawsuit against Snapchat saying that the speed filter has a “negligent design” and encourages people to speed.
A California judge initially dismissed the case, but the U.S. Court of Appeals picked the case back up, which allowed for the parents to pursue the case again. Naveen Ramachandrappa, one of the plaintiffs’ attorneys, said that they are grateful the case is able to continue.
“We appreciate the careful attention that the Ninth Circuit paid to this case, and the well-written, unanimous opinion reflects such thoughtful work by the panel,” said Ramachandrappa. “We look forward to returning to the District Court and having this case move forward with discovery and a fair determination of the merits by a jury.”
