YouTube has settled a lawsuit brought by a 15-year-old alleging the platform contributed to mental health harm, ahead of a wider trial involving other social media companies.
YouTube reached a confidential settlement with a 15-year-old American who accused the Google-owned platform and other social media networks of harming his mental health, three months after an unprecedented verdict in a similar case.
Google spokesman Jose Castaneda confirmed the deal, saying the company had "built YouTube responsibly" for more than a decade and that its "focus remains on building age-appropriate products and parental controls."
The agreement includes no admission of liability.
Plaintiff's attorneys John Morgan and Emily Jeffcott said YouTube's "decision to resolve this case before having to face a jury speaks for itself," accusing social media executives of "strategising for years to hook children early" through features like autoplay and infinite scroll.
