Youtube Designed to Deliberately Addict Young Users – Attorney General Alleges

Publish Date : 10/02/2024

The Arkansas Attorney General has filed a lawsuit against YouTube, Google, their parent company Alphabet Inc., and XXVI Holdings Inc., accusing the entities of designing YouTube to deliberately addict young users, leading to a mental health crisis. The lawsuit claims YouTube’s algorithms and features like autoplay and recommendations are designed to keep users, particularly youth, engaged, which has resulted in issues such as sleep deprivation, addiction, and exposure to harmful content. The complaint also criticizes YouTube’s age verification process as ineffective, allowing minors to access inappropriate content like self-harm videos and sexually explicit material. The Attorney General alleges YouTube has prioritized profits through ads and data collection, while disregarding the negative impact on youth mental health. The lawsuit seeks damages and legal orders to prevent further harmful practices under claims of public nuisance and violations of the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

Google responded, stating it prioritizes safe experiences for youth, and it has allegedly collaborated with experts to create age-appropriate services.