On Tuesday, YouTube, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc.’s (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google, reached a confidential settlement with a Florida teenager who alleged the platform contributed to his social media addiction and mental health struggles.
YouTube Reaches Settlement Before Trial
The lawsuit was brought by a 16-year-old identified in court filings as R.K.C., who claimed he became addicted to social media after beginning to use the platforms at around age 8, Reuters reported.
According to the filings, the teen suffered sleep disruption, anxiety and depression as a result.
Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda said the case had been resolved amicably.
“Our focus remains on building age-appropriate products and parental controls that deliver on that promise,” Castaneda said in a statement.
Attorneys for the plaintiff, John Morgan and Emily Jeffcott, viewed the settlement differently.
“YouTube’s decision to resolve this case before having to face a jury speaks for itself,” they said, adding that they would continue pursuing claims against social media companies they believe have prioritized profits over user safety.
Meta, TikTok And Snapchat Still Headed To Court
The claims against Instagram parent Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META), Snapchat parent Snap Inc. (NYSE:SNAP) and TikTok parent ByteDance remain scheduled for trial in California on July 27.
The case is one of thousands of lawsuits alleging social media platforms were intentionally designed to be addictive, particularly for children and teenagers.
The companies have denied the allegations and say they have implemented extensive measures to protect younger users.
Social Media Addiction Lawsuits Continue To Grow
More than 3,300 social media addiction cases are pending in California state court, while roughly 2,600 additional cases are being litigated in federal court.
The latest development follows a March verdict in which a California jury found Google and Meta negligent in a separate youth addiction case, awarding $1.8 million against Google and $4.2 million against Meta.
Courts across the country are also hearing lawsuits from states, school districts and individuals challenging the safety of social media platforms for young users.
Price Action: Shares of Alphabet Class A stock closed down 0.99% at $346.09 and Class C stock declined 0.77% to $346.08, though both shares edged higher in after-hours trading, according to Benzinga Pro.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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