Current:Home > MyArkansas sues YouTube over claims that the site is fueling a mental health crisis -InvestPro
Arkansas sues YouTube over claims that the site is fueling a mental health crisis
View
Date:2025-04-17 04:14:51
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas sued YouTube and parent company Alphabet on Monday, saying the video-sharing platform is made deliberately addictive and fueling a mental health crisis among youth in the state.
Attorney General Tim Griffin’s office filed the lawsuit in state court, accusing them of violating the state’s deceptive trade practices and public nuisance laws. The lawsuit claims the site is addictive and has resulted in the state spending millions on expanded mental health and other services for young people.
“YouTube amplifies harmful material, doses users with dopamine hits, and drives youth engagement and advertising revenue,” the lawsuit said. “As a result, youth mental health problems have advanced in lockstep with the growth of social media, and in particular, YouTube.”
Alphabet’s Google, which owns the video service and is also named as a defendant in the case, denied the lawsuit’s claims.
“Providing young people with a safer, healthier experience has always been core to our work. In collaboration with youth, mental health and parenting experts, we built services and policies to provide young people with age-appropriate experiences, and parents with robust controls,” Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda said in a statement. “The allegations in this complaint are simply not true.”
YouTube requires users under 17 to get their parent’s permission before using the site, while accounts for users younger than 13 must be linked to a parental account. But it is possible to watch YouTube without an account, and kids can easily lie about their 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 last year filed similar lawsuits against TikTok and Facebook parent company Meta, claiming the social media companies were misleading consumers about the safety of children on their platforms and protections of users’ private data. Those lawsuits are still pending in state court.
Arkansas also enacted a law requiring parental consent for minors to create new social media accounts, though that measure has been blocked by a federal judge.
Along with TikTok, YouTube is one of the most popular sites for children and teens. Both sites have been questioned in the past for hosting, and in some cases promoting, videos that encourage gun violence, eating disorders and self-harm.
YouTube in June changed its policies about firearm videos, prohibiting any videos demonstrating how to remove firearm safety devices. Under the new policies, videos showing homemade guns, automatic weapons and certain firearm accessories like silencers will be restricted to users 18 and older.
Arkansas’ lawsuit claims that YouTube’s algorithms steer youth to harmful adult content, and that it facilitates the spread of child sexual abuse material.
The lawsuit doesn’t seek specific damages, but asks that YouTube be ordered to fund prevention, education and treatment for “excessive and problematic use of social media.”
veryGood! (9)
Related
- Meta donates $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund
- Run to Loungefly's Spring Sale for Up to 70% Off on Themed Merch from Disney, Harry Potter & More
- He didn’t trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
- Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger's tight-fit shirts about accountability and team 'unity'
- Former longtime South Carolina congressman John Spratt dies at 82
- CLFCOIN Crossing over, next industry leader
- Warriors' Draymond Green says he 'deserved' early ejection; Steph Curry responds
- Terrence Shannon Jr. leads Illinois past Iowa State 72-69 for first Elite Eight trip since 2005
- Woman dies after Singapore family of 3 gets into accident in Taiwan
- Hit the Road with the Best Bicycles & Scooters for Kids
Ranking
- Can Bill Belichick turn North Carolina into a winner? At 72, he's chasing one last high
- It's Dodgers vs. Cardinals on MLB Opening Day. LA is 'obsessed' with winning World Series.
- Paul Wesley Shares Only Way He'd Appear in Another Vampire Diaries Show
- 'Cowboy Carter' includes a 'Jolene' cover, but Beyoncé brings added ferocity to the lryics
- Buckingham Palace staff under investigation for 'bar brawl'
- Former US Sen. Joe Lieberman and VP candidate to be remembered at hometown funeral service
- Georgia teachers and state employees will get pay raises as state budget passes
- Baltimore bridge collapse is port's version of global pandemic: It's almost scary how quiet it is
Recommendation
Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
Are these killer whales actually two separate species? New research calls for distinction
Women's college basketball coaches in the Sweet 16 who have earned tournament bonuses
Louis Gossett Jr., 1st Black man to win supporting actor Oscar, dies at 87
Residents worried after ceiling cracks appear following reroofing works at Jalan Tenaga HDB blocks
Search efforts paused after 2 bodies found in Baltimore bridge collapse, focus turns to clearing debris
Amanda Bynes Addresses Her Weight Gain Due to Depression
Federal court reinstates lines for South Carolina congressional district despite racial gerrymander ruling