This is the new MLex platform. Existing customers should continue to use the existing MLex platform until migrated.
For any queries, please contact Customer Services or your Account Manager. Dismiss

YouTube opens trial defense in LA as Stanford psychiatrist flags addictive design

By Mike Swift ( February 10, 2026, 23:24 GMT | Insight) -- YouTube on Tuesday opened its defense in a trial in Los Angeles, where the Google subsidiary is accused alongside Meta Platforms of purposefully designing its social media platforms to be addictive to young users, by citing data showing only limited daily use by plaintiff K.G.M. Plaintiff expert witness Dr. Anna Lembke testified Tuesday that behavioral addictions mirror drug addiction. She identified YouTube and Instagram features like autoplay, infinite scroll, filters and notifications as potentially addictive, particularly to teens, outlining the “four C’s” of addiction: control, cravings, compulsions and consequences.Writing “29 minutes” in squeaky magic marker on a courtroom whiteboard, a YouTube lawyer told a Los Angeles jury Tuesday that plaintiff K.G.M. was never addicted to the platform, based on the average time she spent on it each day in recent years....

Prepare for tomorrow’s regulatory change, today

MLex identifies risk to business wherever it emerges, with specialist reporters across the globe providing exclusive news and deep-dive analysis on the proposals, probes, enforcement actions and rulings that matter to your organization and clients, now and in the longer term.


Know what others in the room don’t, with features including:

  • Daily newsletters for Antitrust, M&A, Trade, Data Privacy & Security, Technology, AI and more
  • Custom alerts on specific filters including geographies, industries, topics and companies to suit your practice needs
  • Predictive analysis from expert journalists across North America, the UK and Europe, Latin America and Asia-Pacific
  • Curated case files bringing together news, analysis and source documents in a single timeline

Experience MLex today with a 14-day free trial.

Start Free Trial

Already a subscriber? Click here to login