LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin issued a statement on Monday, Sept. 30, announcing a lawsuit in the Phillips County Circuit Court against Google LLC, YouTube LLC, XXVI Holdings, Inc., and the parent company, Alphabet, Inc.
The lawsuit claims the companies have engaged in “deceptive and unconscionable” trade practices which are in direct violation of the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act (ADTPA).
Griffin accused YouTube of deceiving users and parents about the safety of its platforms for the youth.
“YouTube has profited substantially off young Arkansans because it deliberately designed its platform to be addictive by using features to keep users engaged for as long as possible,” Griffin said. “Google has deliberately designed and marketed YouTube to exploit and addict young users, contributing to a mental health crisis in Arkansas. The majority of children aged 13 to 17 report using YouTube every day.”
Griffin said one of the most important public health threats to children is the ever-so-climbing rate of mental and behavioral health disorders including depression, self-harm, body dysmorphia, and increased suicidal thoughts and attempts at suicide.
“This increase in mental health problems among children is the result of calculated efforts by social-media companies like YouTube to attract and addict youth to their platforms and to grow revenues without regard for the harmful effects that these companies know exist.”
Griffin has long been a proponent of social media safety for adolescents and their families.
In 2023, Griffin sued Facebook, Instagram, Meta, and TikTok for deceiving users and parents about the safety of their social media applications.
Griffin also joined a bipartisan coalition of 41 other attorneys general by sending a letter to Congress, urging them to pass legislation requiring a U.S. Surgeon General warning label on all algorithm-driven social-media platforms.