Social Media News: Settlement Reached in Case Against YouTube Regarding Harm that Social Media Causes Children
- dgenovese5
- Jul 1
- 2 min read
Social media is a huge part of what we do, so we keep up with current events in the social media realm. And as per usual, Google was on deck as one of four defendants in one of THOUSANDS of lawsuits, and this one in particular was brought forth by a minor whose claim was that YouTube (owned by Google) was damaging to his mental health. Google/YouTube were the first to settle last month.
Here are some details of the case, according to Claims Journal:
The minor plaintiff, whose initials are listed as R.K.C., is “a 16-year-old boy from Florida, said he started using social media when he was about eight, according to court filings. He became addicted to it, losing sleep and suffering from depression and anxiety, according to the filings.”
“R.K.C.’s lawsuit is set to be the second trial in California state court testing claims by individuals who say they were harmed by social media platforms deliberately designed to be addictive.”
“The terms of the settlement of the state court lawsuit were confidential,” indicated by the attorneys.
“Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda said in a statement that the lawsuit had been amicably resolved. ‘Our focus remains on building age-appropriate products and parental controls that deliver on that promise,’ Castaneda said.”
Attorneys for R.K.C., John Morgan and Emily Jeffcott, stated that, “YouTube’s decision to resolve this case before having to face a jury speaks for itself,” and “We will continue fighting on behalf of all those affected by social media addiction to bring these companies to justice and compel them to prioritize the safety of their young users over their bottom lines.”
The other three defendants in the case, Meta’s Instagram, Snap Inc’s Snapchat, and ByteDance’s TikTok, are set to face trial this month.
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