The stock was down 9.2% before the opening bell, extending its losses to more than 44% since reaching a record high in June 2025.

The latest forecast is the second straight quarter in which Netflix has guided below analysts’ estimates. Following the update, at least 11 analysts lowered their price targets for the company’s shares.

Although Netflix has expanded beyond its traditional subscription business, adding advertising, live programming and higher subscription prices to increase revenue per user, investors are still focused on whether it can continue attracting new subscribers.

Jeffrey Wlodarczak, an analyst at Pivotal Research Group, said subscriber growth remains the company’s biggest challenge as younger viewers spend more time on free social media platforms than on long-form streaming services.

“The story lacks excitement,” he said.

He added, “We believe this will result in slower subscriber growth and attempts by the company to offset this via more aggressive price increases and investment in content.”

Analysts also pointed to stronger competition from established streaming rivals such as Disney as well as YouTube, which continues to attract younger audiences with free video content.

Jefferies analysts said Netflix’s content line-up for the second half of 2026 is weaker than the one it offered a year earlier, which could make it harder to reassure investors.

Netflix has also reduced the amount of performance data it shares with the market. The company stopped publishing quarterly subscriber figures in 2025 and announced that, from January 2027, it will release its viewing-hours report once a year instead of twice.

Despite the recent decline, Netflix still trades at a premium compared with some of its biggest rivals. Its shares are valued at about 19.9 times expected earnings over the next 12 months, compared with 13.5 times for Disney and 6.6 times for Comcast.

With the decline, investors are currently concerned that Netflix may find it difficult to maintain the strong growth that once set it apart, especially as viewers have more entertainment choices and free online platforms continue to gain ground.

The post Netflix Shares Fall 9% as Weak Earnings Forecast Disappoints Investors appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) on Thursday backed Italy’s communications regulator, AGCOM, saying Google could be held responsible for videos promoting online gambling if they were uploaded by creators with whom the company had commercial partnership agreements.

The case dates back to 2020, when AGCOM fined Google after gambling advertisements appeared on YouTube channels linked to the company’s commercial partnerships.

Google challenged the decision in an Italian administrative court in 2022. That court then asked the Luxembourg-based CJEU to clarify how EU rules should apply.

Google argued that it was protected under EU rules covering online intermediary services, which generally shield platforms from liability for content uploaded by third parties when they act only as passive hosts.

However, the CJEU said that protection has limits.

“Google may be held liable for the YouTube videos of a content creator with whom it has a commercial partnership,” the court said.

The judges explained that online platforms can rely on the liability exemption only when they “act as an intermediary service provider carrying out a strictly technical, automated and passive activity, excluding any knowledge or control over the information which is transmitted or stored.”

The court added: “That is not the case where an operator reviews, for the purpose of concluding a commercial partnership contract, the main theme of a video channel, that channel’s most viewed videos or newest videos and the associated metadata.”

In other words, once a platform becomes involved in assessing creators before entering commercial partnerships, it can no longer claim to be a purely passive intermediary for that content.

The ruling does not settle the dispute itself, instead, the Italian court will now decide the case based on the CJEU’s interpretation of EU law.

Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Beyond the cash, the judgment reinforces the position that online platforms may face legal responsibility when they play an active commercial role in content published by creators, even if they did not upload the material themselves.

The post Google Loses EU Court Fight Over Fine for Gambling Ads on YouTube appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

The update brings a range of editing features, including multilingual captions that users can customise and green-screen tools that allow creators to use images from their camera roll or other posts on X as backgrounds.

The company also redesigned the editing interface to make recording and editing videos easier within the app.

According to X’s Head of Product, Nikita Bier, the company wants to give creators better tools while rewarding those who publish original work.

“One of our biggest priorities is to give creators the tools to create original content [and] reward those creators,” Bier wrote in a post. “We have plenty more updates coming to the video editor in the coming weeks.”

He added that the goal is to build a “functional” video editor so videos on X can “finally be original content that doesn’t exist on other platforms.”

The update comes as video grows on the platform. Bier said posts containing videos now account for nearly half of all impressions on X, making video one of its biggest sources of engagement.

Even so, X still faces competition from platforms such as TikTok, Meta and YouTube, which already offer more established creator programmes, stronger monetisation options and wider audiences.

Bier also acknowledged that recycled content is a problem on X. He said many popular accounts share videos taken from other creators, sometimes years after the original clips first went viral.

Beyond copied content, the platform faces issues of spam and automated accounts. In April, Bier said X was identifying and suspending “208 bots per minute and growing.” He also revealed at the time that half of the company’s product team had been working on features designed to reduce spam.

Unlike some competing platforms, X does not yet provide creators with built-in tools to report stolen videos or claim ownership when their content is reposted. Meta allows creators to block copied Reels or add attribution links that can help them earn revenue, while YouTube offers systems to detect and remove unauthorised re-uploads.

X is not alone in dealing with the high volume of spam and bot-generated content online. Reddit recently said it is introducing new tools to tackle the rise in spam and automated posts, while Digg shut down its app earlier this year, saying it lacked the resources to deal with the problem.

The redesigned video editor and recorder are available first on the iOS version of X. Bier said support for Android will follow after work on rebuilding the app is completed.

The post X Unveils New Video Editing Tools to Encourage Original Creator Content appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

Indonesia’s Communications and Digital Minister, Meutya Hafid, said TikTok removed 4.1 million accounts, while YouTube deactivated another 600,000. She also urged other platforms to comply with the regultion.

TikTok, owned by Chinese technology company ByteDance, and YouTube, which is operated by Google, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The new regulation, introduced in March, requires social media platforms classified as high risk to deactivate accounts belonging to users under 16. The regulation currently applies to TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, X and online gaming platform Roblox.

Unlike systems that rely mainly on users declaring their age, Indonesia’s policy requires platforms to actively identify and remove underage accounts.

Authorities are also reviewing self-assessment reports submitted by more than 200 platforms to determine whether they are meeting the new requirements.

Explaining the government’s position, Hafid said: “We’re not just delaying a child’s access, but we want behaviours from platforms to change, too.”

The government said the restrictions are designed to reduce cyberbullying, excessive screen time, digital addiction and other online risks facing children.

Officials have also pointed to algorithm-driven content feeds and social comparison as potential harm to young people’s mental health in ways that content moderation alone cannot address.

The removal of 4.7 million accounts is one of the largest enforcement actions of its kind and is being monitored by governments considering similar measures.

Indonesia’s approach follows Australia’s decision to ban social media use for children under 16 in 2025 over concerns about its impact on young people’s mental health.

However, reports have revealed that about 85% of Australian teenagers bypassed the restrictions by creating alternative accounts.

Britain has also announced plans to expand its online safety measures to cover gaming and live-streaming platforms, while Norway and Italy are considering similar policies as governments continue to debate how best to protect children online.

The post TikTok, YouTube Remove 4.7 Million Under-16 Accounts as Indonesia Enforces Child Safety Regulation appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Carolyn Kuhl denied motions for a new trial on Tuesday, according to court documents.

The ruling means a March jury verdict awarding $6 million in damages will remain in place while both companies pursue appeals.

The case was brought by a 20-year-old California woman identified in court records as K.G.M., also known as Kaley.

She told jurors she began using YouTube at the age of six and Instagram at nine, and later developed anxiety, depression, body dysmorphia and suicidal thoughts.

Her lawyers argued that features built into the platforms, including algorithmic recommendations, beauty filters, endless scrolling and push notifications, encouraged compulsive use and contributed to her mental health issues.

After hearing the evidence, the jury found both companies negligent and concluded they acted with malice, oppression and fraud.

Jurors awarded $3 million in compensatory damages and a further $3 million in punitive damages, bringing the total award to $6 million.

Meta was assigned 70% of the liability, amounting to $4.2 million, while YouTube was held responsible for the remaining 30%, or $1.8 million.

The trial attracted attention because it was the first to reach a verdict among more than 1,600 related lawsuits filed across the United States by young people, families and school districts.

The litigation accuses social media companies of designing products that encourage addiction among children and teenagers while contributing to mental health problems.

Several senior technology executives testified during the proceedings. Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg spent about eight hours on the witness stand and was questioned about internal company documents showing that Instagram had four million users under the age of 13 in 2015.

Instagram head Adam Mosseri also testified and acknowledged that spending 16 hours a day on the platform could be “problematic.”

Meta said it “respectfully disagrees” with the verdict and plans to appeal. The company argued that teenage mental health is influenced by many factors and cannot be linked to a single app.

Google, which owns YouTube, also intends to challenge the ruling. The company argued that the case “misunderstands YouTube” because it views the service as a streaming platform rather than a social media network.

As it stands, lawmakers and child safety advocates are currently pushing for stronger protections for young users online, including uncompromising age-verification requirements, expanded parental management and changes to platform design.

The post Judge Rejects Meta, YouTube Bid for New Trial in Youth Harm Case appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

MTN Nigeria has announced a public inquest scheduled for June 6, 2026, in which the mechanics of mobile data delivery, a subject that has fuelled persistent consumer frustration and regulatory scrutiny, will be subjected to structured, adversarial examination before a live national audience.

The context matters. Nigeria’s mobile internet subscriber base crossed 153.2 million in Q1 2026, according to data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), operating within an ecosystem where data traffic has grown exponentially. Yet subscriber trust has not kept pace with subscriber numbers.

Complaints about data depletion, speed inconsistencies, and opaque billing have remained a stubborn feature of the consumer experience, a gap between what networks advertise and what users believe they receive.

MTN’s response to that credibility deficit is structurally unusual. Rather than the standard combination of press releases and technical explainers, the operator is staging what it describes as a courtroom-style proceeding, with defined prosecution and defence teams, live evidence, and independent verification.

The design of the prosecution side is particularly notable. MTN is not selecting its questioners. Instead, it is partnering with independent media channels to allow Nigerians to vote for a five-member prosecution team drawn from technology creators and consumer advocates, figures the public, not the company, deems credible.

Those selected will be granted autonomous cross-examination rights over MTN’s technical executives, network engineers, and third-party mobile hardware specialists who will form the defence.

To address the obvious risk of a process that looks independent but isn’t, MTN has brought in KPMG to independently verify every diagnostic tool and backend demonstration utility used during the session. That decision is significant.

KPMG’s involvement raises the accountability stakes considerably and narrows the room for the kind of selective data presentation that has previously undermined corporate-led transparency exercises in the sector.

The entire proceeding will be streamed live across television, YouTube, Facebook, X, and TikTok, a distribution footprint that signals MTN is not treating this as an industry event but as a national public conversation.

What makes the initiative analytically interesting is what it reveals about the current state of the telco-consumer relationship in Nigeria.

The very existence of a format this elaborate, prosecution teams, independent auditors, live streaming, suggests that conventional communication has failed to close the trust gap. Operators have explained, demonstrated, and published. Subscribers remain sceptical.

The inquest format is, in essence, an admission that the burden of proof now requires a different standard of evidence.

Whether the June 6 event delivers on that standard will depend on execution. The selection process for the prosecution team, the quality of evidence tabled by both sides, and the degree to which KPMG’s verification role is genuinely independent rather than ceremonial will determine whether this becomes a replicable model for consumer accountability in African telecoms, or a well-produced exercise that changes little.

The venue is yet to be confirmed. The question it is trying to answer, however, has been on the table for years.

The post Data on Trial: MTN Nigeria Submits Mobile Data Mechanics to Independent Public Scrutiny appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

This has made many smartphones users wonder why their devices seem to run out of storage much faster than before.

The answer lies in how smartphone and digital services have changed. Today’s mobile devices are more powerful than before, and the apps, photos, videos, and features that come with them also require more storage.

One major reason behind smartphones running out of storage space quickly is that mobile apps  have become much larger.

Mobile apps have significantly evolved far beyond their original purpose. Social media platforms now support features such as short-form video creation, live streaming, AI-powered recommendations, and integrated business tools. As a result, app sizes and updates are often larger than they were a few years back.

Photos and videos are another major reason for storage consumption. Smartphone cameras have improved significantly over the years, with many devices now offering 50MP, 108MP, and even 200MP sensors.

While these cameras produce sharper and more detailed images and videos, the resulting files are much larger than those produced by older phones.

A few minutes of 4K video can consume hundreds of megabytes, and regular content creation can quickly fill up available storage.

For many users, WhatsApp may be the biggest hidden storage consumer. Photos, videos, voice notes, documents, status updates, and stickers are often downloaded automatically and stored on the user’s device.

These files then accumulate in the background, occupying several gigabytes without the user’s knowledge.  In active groups like a class, church, friends, or social groups, the amount of media received daily can be substantial.

Artificial intelligence is also contributing to growing storage demand. Many modern smartphones now include AI-powered features like image enhancement object and background removal, live translation, voice transcription, and smart assistants. While they improve the user’s experience, these tools often require additional software components and data files that occupy storage devices.

Also, smartphones operating systems themselves have become much larger. New versions of Android and iOS come with expanded functionality, improved security features, and deeper integration with cloud services.

Manufacturers also pre-install applications and system tools that take up parts of the available storage before users even begin using their devices.

The growing popularity of streaming and content creation has also played a significant role. Offline downloads from platforms such as Netflix, Spotify and YouTube can consume a large amount of storage, especially when high-quality settings are enabled. Users who download content for later watch or listening, available space can disappear quickly.

What Can Users Do?

Though the demand for storage space is majorly a result of modern smartphones usage, there are some steps users can take to manage available space more effectively.

1. Review Your Storage Usage Regularly

Most smartphones provide a breakdown of what is consuming user’s storage, including the apps, photos, videos and documents. Checking them regularly can help you identify and remove unnecessary files before it becomes a problem.

2. Manage Your WhatsApp Media Downloads

WhatsApp is often one of the largest consumers of storage. Users can reduce unnecessary downloads by disabling automatic media downloads and deleting old photos, videos, and documents that are no longer needed.

3. Remove Unused Apps

Many mobile phone users still keep apps they rarely use. Uninstalling applications that have not been opened for several months can free up significant storage space while also reducing background activity.

4. Make Use of Cloud Storage

Google photos, Google Drive, and iCloud can help reduce the burden on local storage.  Users should also ensure that files already backed up to cloud are not unknowingly duplicated on the devices.

5. Clear App Cache

Applications store temporary files, known as cache to improve performance. These files often accumulate and occupy some spaces. Clearing cache can help recover storage without affecting valuable personal data.

6. Choose Your. Storage Based on Usage Habits

The need for storage varies from one user to another. While everyday smartphone user may be comfortable with 128GB, those who frequently create video contents for brands and companies, and store a large amount of media should consider 256GB, 512GB or even a higher capacity when purchasing a new smartphone.

As smartphones cameras improve, applications become more sophisticated and AI features become increasingly common, the demand for storage is likely to continue rising. For consumers, this means storage capacity should now be considered as carefully as battery life, camera quality and processing power when buying a new device.

It is also important to know that smartphones running out of storage are not always a sign that something is wrong. In many cases, it shows the reality of how modern digital services work. Understanding what is taking up space can help users manage their devices more effectively and make better purchasing decisions in the future.

The post Why Your Phone Storage is Filling Up Faster Than Before And What to Do appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

The company said it will start using internal detection systems from May 2026 to identify videos containing what it described as “significant photorealistic AI” content.

When creators fail to disclose that material, YouTube will now add the label automatically.

The update also changes where viewers see those warnings. Instead of hiding them inside video descriptions, YouTube will place labels directly below long-form videos and over Shorts, making them easier to spot.

YouTube has required creators since 2024 to disclose content made with AI tools when videos could realistically be mistaken for real people, places or events. However, content that was clearly fictional, animated or unrealistic did not need the same treatment.

Now, the company says it wants a more reliable system as AI video tools become harder to distinguish from real footage.

“We’ve heard consistently from our community that they value transparency when it comes to generative AI content,” YouTube said.

“That’s why since 2024, we’ve been labeling content when creators disclose they’ve used AI tools.”

The platform said the policy itself has not changed, but enforcement is becoming more active as AI-generated video quality improves.

The announcement follows the launch of Google’s Gemini Omni models at the company’s developer conference last week. Google said the models can generate highly realistic videos while showing an understanding of subjects including physics, science, history and culture.

Under the new system, creators will still be expected to disclose AI-generated content themselves. However, YouTube explained it will step in when its systems detect realistic AI content that has not been labelled.

“If a creator doesn’t specify whether or not they used AI, but our systems detect significant photorealistic AI use, we will now automatically apply a label,” the company said.

Creators who believe their content was wrongly flagged will be able to update the disclosure status through YouTube Studio. Still, YouTube said labels will remain permanent in some situations.

That includes videos produced using YouTube’s own AI tools such as Veo and Dream Screen. The same applies to videos carrying C2PA metadata showing they were fully generated with AI systems.

C2PA is an industry standard designed to help identify AI-generated and digitally altered media. Companies including OpenAI, Nvidia, Kakao and Eleven Labs have backed the standard in recent months.

YouTube is also changing how labels appear across the platform.

For long-form videos, labels will now be directly below the video player and above the description section. On Shorts, viewers will see them as overlays on the video itself.

The company said labels for unrealistic or lightly edited AI content will still appear only inside the expanded description section.

“By moving these labels on to the main stage, viewers get the context they need at a glance,” YouTube said.

The changes align with YouTube’s expansion of other tools aimed at detecting manipulated content. The company recently increased access to its AI deepfake detection system, allowing adults to scan the platform for videos that may contain their likeness.

At the same time, YouTube continues adding AI features across its services, including AI-generated video summaries, playlist tools for YouTube Music, interactive search functions and creation tools for creators.

Despite the labelling system, YouTube said the presence of an AI label will not affect recommendations or whether creators can make money from their videos.

“It’s important to note that a disclosure label alone does not change how a video is recommended or whether it’s eligible to earn money,” the company said.

The post YouTube to Automatically Label AI-Generated Videos and Shorts appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

She catches the first 10 minutes of Nigeria vs. whoever – live, free, crystal-clear (oh Nigeria is not playing at the World Cup this year. Ok, let’s say Ghana). The drama hooks her instantly.

By halftime she’s convinced her mates to stream the rest on their local broadcaster. Meanwhile, a creator she follows drops a tactical breakdown with sponsor shoutouts woven in naturally.

Everyone wins: the fan gets the game her way, FIFA reaches a new generation, broadcasters sell more ads, and brands get their message in front of millions who were never glued to traditional TV.That scenario isn’t fan fiction.

It’s the exact playbook behind the Preferred Platform deal FIFA and YouTube announced on March 17, 2026.

This isn’t a full handover of live rights (traditional broadcasters still own the main feast). It’s something smarter: a digital appetizer that supercharges reach, unlocks fresh ad revenue, and future-proofs the world’s biggest sporting event.

The Deal:

Official media partners – think FOX, Telemundo, SuperSport, beIN, and others, can stream the first 10 minutes of every single one of the 104 matches live on their YouTube channels.

It’s the ultimate hook, enough action to get hearts racing, then a gentle nudge: “Full match on our main channel.” Select full matches will also stream on those same YouTube channels, market-by-market.

FIFA is flooding YouTube with premium archive, full classic games, iconic moments, behind-the-scenes footage. A global creator program gives independent YouTubers official access to produce highlights, analysis, Shorts, and player profiles.

Crucially, media partners now monetize this content directly on YouTube through pre-roll, mid-roll, and other ad formats, extra revenue on top of their traditional broadcast deals. No cannibalization, just multiplication.

Mattias Grafström FIFA secretary general, called it “game-changing.”

He’s right. After TikTok got a similar deal earlier in 2026, YouTube, already the second-biggest Preferred Platform, brings the scale: 2 billion logged-in users monthly and a sports audience that watched 35 billion hours of content last year alone (up 45% year-over-year).

The Numbers That Make Marketers’ Hearts Race

Let’s talk money, because this partnership isn’t charity. FIFA’s overall haul is record-breaking. The 2023–2026 cycle is projected to generate around $13 billion total, with roughly $8.9 billion landing in 2026 alone.

Broadcasting rights are expected to hit $3.9–4.3 billion (up from $3.4 billion in Qatar). Sponsorships are sold out at over $2.8 billion.

Tickets and hospitality add another $3 billion. This 48-team tournament in North America is simply printing money.

U.S. broadcasters are set for a Super Bowl-sized payday. FOX and Telemundo are projected to pull in $850 million in advertising revenue, just from the World Cup.

That’s more than double the $384 million they made in 2018. The combination of home-soil hosting, expanded format, and U.S. participation is the rocket fuel.

YouTube’s slice is the growth story. In 2022, even with more limited rights, fans watched over 600 million hours of World Cup content on the platform.

One Brazilian creator (CazéTV) gained 5.5 million subscribers and racked up 500 million views. Live streams hit peaks of 6 million concurrent viewers. Now imagine that multiplied by official 10-minute live kickoffs, full select matches, creator content, and Shorts that live forever in the algorithm.

Global ad spend tied to the tournament is forecast to surge by $10.5 billion in the quarter it runs – 1.1% incremental lift to the entire ad market.

A big chunk of that incremental money is shifting to digital platforms like YouTube, where brands can target precisely rather than buy 30-second TV spots.

Advertisers and Sponsors

The Real Winners: Traditional World Cup sponsors (Adidas, Coca-Cola, Visa, etc.) already have global deals locked in. But the YouTube layer opens the floodgates for everyone else:Precision targeting on steroids.

A brand selling energy drinks can hit 18–34-year-olds in emerging markets who discover the tournament via YouTube teasers. Cost-per-view is dramatically lower than TV, and engagement is higher because people choose to watch.

Creator economy gold –  

Official creator content means authentic integrations, think a popular analyst breaking down Messi’s movement while a watch brand flashes on screen. Trust transfers directly. Highlights, Shorts, and archive footage keep generating ad impressions for months after the final whistle. It’s not one-and-done like a live match.

Gen Z and Millennials in Africa, Asia, and Latin America aren’t always parking themselves in front of a TV for 90+ minutes. YouTube meets them where they are, phones, laptops, living rooms.

For broadcasters, the YouTube money is pure upside. They keep their primary TV/streaming revenue and earn from digital ads. FIFA gets broader reach without eroding the value of its billion-dollar broadcast contracts. YouTube cements its position as the go-to sports destination.

The Human Side:

Fans First, Business Second – The genius here is that it feels generous to fans while being ruthlessly smart for business.

In markets where paywalls (like DSTV in parts of Africa) frustrate younger viewers, those 10-minute live windows become the entry point. A casual scroll turns into lifelong fandom.

And every time someone watches a highlight or creator reaction, another ad plays.As the tournament kicks off in June, expect to see brands everywhere, not just during water breaks on TV, but in the Shorts that get millions of views overnight, in creator videos that feel like chatting with mates, and in the algorithm that keeps serving up World Cup magic long after the final.

FIFA and YouTube didn’t just sign a partnership. They rewrote the sports media playbook: give fans more ways in, let creators amplify the magic, and let advertisers ride the wave across every screen.

The pitch is bigger than ever, and the business side is scoring goals before the first whistle even blows.

The post Beyond 90 Minutes: FIFA–YouTube’s Billion-Dollar World Cup Play appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

At the centre of the case is a 19-year-old woman from California, identified in court papers as K.G.M. She argues that she became hooked on the apps while still a child and that prolonged use damaged her mental health. 

She is asking the court to hold the companies liable for the effects of their product design, not just the content she consumed.

Beyond a single dispute, the trial emphasises whether a digital product can be treated like any other consumer good when it causes harm. That question will now be argued in open court, under oath, and in front of a jury.

Lawyers for the plaintiff say this is the first time technology firms must defend themselves at trial on claims that their platforms injured a young user.

Report Links Growing Mental Health Crisis among Children to Use of Technology

Matthew Bergman, the lead attorney, said: “They will be under a level of scrutiny that does not exist when you testify in front of Congress.”

The jury must decide whether the companies were negligent, and whether use of the platforms played a role in K.G.M.’s mental health challenges, as distinct from other factors in her life or the third-party material she viewed. Legal experts say the result could influence hundreds of similar cases awaiting resolution.

“This is really a test case,” said Clay Calvert, a media lawyer at the American Enterprise Institute. “We’re going to see what happens with these theories”.

Senior executives are expected to be called. Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg is due to testify, an uncommon sight for a technology founder in a civil courtroom. 

Snap’s chief executive Evan Spiegel had also been expected, but Snap agreed to settle the case against it earlier this month. The company has not disclosed the terms.

The remaining firms are preparing distinct defences. Meta has said its products did not cause the plaintiff’s difficulties and mental health challenges. YouTube plans to argue that its service is different in nature from platforms such as Instagram and TikTok and should not be treated the same way. TikTok has declined to outline its courtroom strategy.

Since 2022, thousands of lawsuits across the United States have accused social media companies of deliberately designing addictive features that harm children. 

In September 2025, a California court allowed expert witnesses to explain how tools such as endless scrolling, autoplay and algorithm-driven feeds affect young users’ mental health. That ruling cleared the path for this bellwether case.

At the same time, the companies are fighting a parallel issue for public trust. They have rolled out new parental controls, funded school workshops and partnered with youth groups to show they take safety seriously. Meta has sponsored “Screen Smart” sessions in schools. 

TikTok has backed parent programmes under the banner “Create with Kindness”. Google, YouTube’s parent company, has worked with the Girl Scouts on online safety badges.

Individuals say these initiatives muddy the waters. Julie Scelfo, founder of Mothers Against Media Addiction, said: “These companies are using every lever of influence that you can imagine. It can be very confusing for parents who to trust.”

The post US Court Case Targets Meta, TikTok, YouTube Over Youth Mental Health appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.