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Tue, 23 Jun 2026

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 Google's YouTube settles social media addiction case with teen

The 15-year-old plaintiff's case against three other tech giants begins next month.

* Google's YouTube has settled a case with a 15-year-old in Florida who accused the platform and other social media companies of designing their platforms to be addictive.
* The teenager, R.K.C., claims that features like infinite scroll and autoplay contributed to his compulsive use and mental health issues.
* This is the second trial in a series overseen by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Carolyn Kuhl, which aims to resolve over 1,000 similar cases in California.
* In an earlier trial, a 20-year-old woman was awarded $6 million after accusing Meta and YouTube of intentionally designing addictive platforms for young users.
* R.K.C.'s case is similar to the previous one, with his attorneys stating that leadership at social media companies have been strategizing to hook children early and maximize their usage.
* Google claims it has built YouTube "responsibly" and has launched a version designed specifically for children, but critics argue that more needs to be done to protect young users.