YouTube Addiction Lawsuit

Reviewed by the legal team at Estey & Bomberger, LLP · Updated November 14, 2026

Why we handle YouTube cases too

Our firm, Estey & Bomberger, LLP, leads with TikTok cases. But YouTube is often right alongside TikTok on a child's phone, tablet or TV. Many kids start watching YouTube when they are very young, long before they have any other social media account.

YouTube is part of the same group of lawsuits as TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat. That means one family can bring claims about more than one platform. If YouTube played a part in your child's story, we want to know.

As with every case we take, you pay nothing unless we win.

Who is being sued

YouTube is owned by Google. Lawsuits typically name Google LLC and YouTube, LLC.

The claims are about how YouTube was designed and whether families were warned, not about any one video. A federal judge ruled in November 2023 that design-defect and failure-to-warn claims against the platforms could go forward. In June 2026, a California judge held that Section 230, a law that often shields websites from lawsuits over user posts, does not bar claims about design features.

YouTube features the lawsuits point to

Families claim that YouTube used features that make it hard for kids to stop watching:

• Autoplay. When one video ends, the next one starts on its own. There is no moment that asks, "Do you want to keep going?"
• YouTube Shorts. Short, vertical videos that play one after another with a swipe, much like TikTok's feed.
• Recommendations. YouTube's system picks what to show next based on what keeps a viewer watching. Lawsuits claim this can steer kids toward more extreme or upsetting content over time.
• Weak age checks and parental controls. Families say the tools to protect younger users were too easy to get around.

Learn more about how these apps are designed to hook kids.

YouTube's record in court so far

YouTube has already been found liable by a jury and has settled other cases:

• March 2026: In the first social media addiction jury trial, a Los Angeles jury found Meta and YouTube negligent and liable for failing to warn in the K.G.M. case. The jury awarded $6 million: $3 million in compensatory damages (30% assigned to YouTube) plus $3 million in punitive damages. In June 2026 the judge denied requests to set the verdict aside. The case is on appeal.
• Mid-2026: YouTube settled with the plaintiff in the R.K.C. bellwether case before trial.
• Fall 2026: YouTube settled with the plaintiffs S.J. and K.D.B. before the second California trial. Terms are confidential.

YouTube is also a defendant in the federal school-district trials scheduled to begin in February 2027. See our settlements page and lawsuit updates for more. Past results do not guarantee what will happen in any one case.

Injuries linked to YouTube

Families describe a range of harms tied to compulsive YouTube use, including:

• Depression and anxiety
• Eating disorders and body image problems
• Self-harm and suicidal thoughts
• Serious sleep loss
• Pulling away from family, friends and school

See all the injuries we review. Not sure if what your child went through fits? Ask us. The review is free.

How to start a YouTube case

Tell us about your child, what changed and when, and every app they used. YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook: list them all. It's normal for kids to use several.

If you can, keep the YouTube account active, save screen-time reports, and gather any doctor, therapy or school records. Our evidence guide shows you how.

Then start your free case review. Our team, led by attorney Mike Bomberger in San Diego, handles cases nationwide on a contingency fee.

Frequently Asked Questions

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