On Monday Arkansas sued YouTube and its parent company Alphabet, claiming that the video-sharing site is deliberately addictive and is fueling a mental crisis among youths in the state.
The office of Attorney General Tim Griffin filed a lawsuit in state courts accusing them of violating deceptive business practices and public nuisance laws. The lawsuit alleges that the site is addictive, and the state has spent millions of dollars on mental health services and other services to help young people.
The lawsuit claimed that YouTube amplifies harmful content, gives users dopamine rushes, and increases youth engagement and advertising revenues. The lawsuit said that “youth mental health issues have progressed in lockstep with social media and YouTube in particular.”
Alphabet, which is the owner of the video service, and named as a defendant, has denied the claims made in the lawsuit.
Our work has always focused on providing young people with a healthier, safer experience. We worked with experts in youth, parenting, and mental health to develop services and policies that would provide age-appropriate experiences for young people and give parents robust control,” Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda stated in a press release. “The allegations contained in this complaint are not true.”
YouTube asks users aged under 17 to obtain their parent’s permission before they can use the site. Accounts for users younger than 13 years old must also be linked to an account of a parent. It is possible to view YouTube without a YouTube account and children can easily lie about age.
The lawsuit is the latest in an ongoing push by state and federal lawmakers to highlight the impact that social media sites have on younger users. U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy in June called on Congress to require warning labels on social media platforms about their effects on young people’s lives, similar to those now mandatory on cigarette boxes.
Arkansas filed similar lawsuits last year against TikTok, and Facebook’s parent company Meta. The state claimed that social media companies misled consumers about the safety and privacy of children using their platforms. These lawsuits remain pending before state courts.
Arkansas has also passed a law that requires parental consent before minors can create a new social media account. However, this measure was blocked by a judge.
YouTube, along with TikTok is the most popular site for kids and teens. Both sites were criticized in the past because they hosted, and in some instances promoted, videos that encouraged gun violence, eating disorders, and self-harm.
YouTube changed its policy on firearm videos in June. It now prohibits any videos that demonstrate how to remove firearm security devices. Videos of homemade guns, automatic firearms, and certain firearm accessories such as silencers, will only be available to users over 18 years old under the new policy.
Arkansas’ lawsuit alleges that YouTube’s algorithm leads youth to harmful adult material and facilitates the spreading of child sexual abuse materials.
The lawsuit does not seek damages but instead asks YouTube to fund treatment, prevention, and education for “excessive use of social media”.
