YouTube faces accusations of addiction: its defense in court

In Los Angeles, a groundbreaking trial concerning social media addiction has entered a crucial phase. Following Mark Zuckerberg's testimony last week, YouTube must now defend its business model.

A young American woman, Kaley G.M., now 20 years old, holds the platform responsible for her mental health issues. The case could set a precedent in the United States and influence thousands of other similar lawsuits. The outcome of this trial could call into question the very design of digital products and their ability to encourage compulsive use…

A goal of one billion hours per day

As reported by France24, on the stand, Cristos Goodrow, YouTube's vice president of engineering, rejected the idea that the platform is designed to make users addicted.

According to him, "YouTube is not designed to maximize time," he declared before the Los Angeles civil court, because the platform's objective is to bring "as much value as possible" to viewers.

However, the plaintiff's lawyer, Mark Lanier, produced an internal document from 2013 setting a clear course: to reach one billion hours of daily viewing by 2016, a threshold that was reached and then surpassed in 2024.

Thus, the prosecution's argument rests on this quantified ambition, presented as revealing of a strategy centered on massive engagement.

Mark Lanier also emphasized the role of features deployed over the years, such as personalized recommendations, autoplay videos, advertising integration, and YouTube Kids, the version dedicated to children. All these elements, he argued, could fuel a "conveyor belt of continuous browsing." A verdict is expected in March. Faced with these criticisms, Cristos Goodrow defended YouTube's recommendation algorithm, which he considers more relevant than a traditional television program guide. According to him, a user who scrolls repeatedly without finding relevant content is experiencing a system failure, not a success. He also pointed out the existence of safeguards, such as pause reminders and viewing timers, particularly for younger users. "We don't want anyone to become addicted to anything," he stated. The trial is expected to continue until the end of March. At the end of the trial, the jury will have to determine whether YouTube and Instagram bear any responsibility for the problems described by Kaley G.M., a YouTube user since the age of six and an Instagram user since the age of nine. While Snapchat has already reached an out-of-court settlement, as was also the case recently for TikTok, this case could redefine the scope of platform responsibility in the face of intensive use by young people.