YouTube blinks first in landmark teen social media addiction lawsuit

SAN FRANCISO, June 24 — YouTube reached a confidential settlement with a 15-year-old American who accused the Google-owned platform and other social media networks of harming his mental health, three months after an unprecedented verdict in a similar case.

Google spokesman Jose Castaneda confirmed the deal, saying the company had “built YouTube responsibly” for more than a decade and that its “focus remains on building age-appropriate products and parental controls.”

The agreement includes no admission of liability.

Plaintiff’s attorneys John Morgan and Emily Jeffcott said YouTube’s “decision to resolve this case before having to face a jury speaks for itself,” accusing social media executives of “strategising for years to hook children early” through features like autoplay and infinite scroll.

Instagram owner Meta, TikTok and Snapchat remain defendants in the case — the second of its kind in the United States — which is set to go to trial July 27 in Los Angeles.

The plaintiff, identified by his initials RKC, is a teenager from Florida who claims compulsive social media use contributed to anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts for which he continues to receive treatment.

His case was selected as a bellwether to help resolve thousands of similar lawsuits across the country.

A first bellwether trial concluded in March, when a Los Angeles jury ordered Meta and Google to pay a 20-year-old woman, KGM, US$6 million (RM25 million) — a historic first.

Snap and TikTok had settled before that trial for undisclosed amounts.

Another case in New Mexico found Meta liable for misleading consumers about the safety risks its platforms pose to children.

The jury ordered Meta to pay US$375 million in damages.

In May, Meta, Snap, TikTok and YouTube reached confidential settlements with a Kentucky school district, averting another landmark trial in Oakland.

In a separate case, more than 30 US states are suing Meta over similar allegations, with a potential trial set for August in Oakland. — AFP