Google's YouTube settles social media addiction case with teen

Google's YouTube has settled a social media addiction case brought by a 15-year-old in Florida, according to the plaintiff's attorneys. The settlement comes ahead of a second California state-court trial that was set to address claims that social media platform designs have contributed to a mental health crisis among children. The minor, identified by initials R.K.C., alleged that YouTube and other social media firms designed their platforms to be addictive. A Google spokesman stated the matter has been amicably resolved and the company's focus remains on building age-appropriate products and parental controls. R.K.C. is also suing Meta, TikTok, and Snap Inc. in a separate trial scheduled for July 27. This follows a similar case where a 20-year-old California woman, known as K.G.M., won a $6 million verdict against YouTube and Meta earlier this year. Attorneys for R.K.C. stated that features like autoplay and infinite scroll are designed to increase profits at the expense of youth mental health, drawing comparisons to legal actions against Big Tobacco. Google maintains it has built YouTube responsibly for over a decade, working with families to provide safer online experiences.