YouTube settles a teen's social-media addiction lawsuit
Google’s YouTube has settled a lawsuit brought by a 15-year-old Florida plaintiff, identified in court papers as R.K.C., who alleged that YouTube and other platforms were deliberately designed to be addictive. The terms are confidential. Google spokesman José Castañeda said the matter “has been amicably resolved” and that the company’s focus “remains on building age-appropriate products and parental controls.”
The settlement removes YouTube from a case that is otherwise still scheduled for trial on July 27 against Meta, TikTok, and Snap. It follows a separate suit earlier this year in which a 20-year-old California woman won a $6 million verdict against YouTube and Meta.
Settling ahead of trial lets Google avoid another public airing of internal evidence about how its recommendation systems engage young users, and avoid the precedent risk of a second adverse jury verdict. With the broader case proceeding against the remaining defendants, the underlying legal theory — that platform design itself can be a source of harm to minors — remains live and headed for a courtroom.