Attorney General Aaron Ford announced Monday his office filed a lawsuit against YouTube, alleging it harms Nevada’s youth.
The lawsuit makes similar allegations to previous lawsuits the office filed against Meta, TikTok and Snap, accusing YouTube of creating a “highly addictive and harmful platform” that targets Nevada’s youth, causing depression, anxiety and negative body image.
“One of the core responsibilities of my office is consumer protection, and there may be no more important consumers than Nevada’s youth,” Ford said in a statement.
He said Monday’s litigation is a necessary to step to ensure young people in Nevada are not exploited by social media platforms.
“I will take every step to protect the children in our great state, and that includes holding accountable those who exploit and harm our youth,” Ford said.
The litigation points to YouTube’s endlessly scrolling list of videos, algorithmic targeting, constant notifications, prioritization of content based on “likes” and ineffective parental controls as features that allegedly manipulate young users and keep them on the platform for as long as possible.
Ford previously filed lawsuits against the social platforms TikTok, Snapchat and the three Meta-owned platforms of Instagram, Facebook and Messenger, making similar allegations. That litigation is still ongoing.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Contact Jessica Hill at jehill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jess_hillyeah on X.
