Is YouTube 'intentionally' causing mental health issues in individuals? Social media giant to face trial
The U.S. state of Arkansas has sued YouTube, accusing the company of causing mental health problems.
AA
YouTube and its parent company Alphabet have been accused by the U.S. state of Arkansas of intentionally creating addiction and increasing mental health issues among young people. Arkansas, which filed the lawsuit against the companies, claims that psychological problems have increased in parallel with the spread of social media.
The State Attorney General's Office filed a lawsuit against YouTube in state court, accusing the platform of violating the state's trade practices and public interest laws.
In its petition, the office alleged that the platform is addictive and has caused the state to spend millions of dollars on mental health and other services for young people.
ARKANSAS HAS SUED SOCIAL MEDIA GIANTS ONE AFTER ANOTHER
Last year, the state of Arkansas also filed similar lawsuits against TikTok and Meta, the parent company of Facebook, alleging that they misled consumers regarding child safety and the protection of users' private data. These cases are pending in state court.
Pointing out that YouTube amplifies harmful factors, the lawsuit petition stated, 'As a result, youth mental health issues have increased in tandem with the growth of social media, and YouTube in particular.'
Alphabet has denied the allegations in the lawsuit.