YouTube CEO defends platform against addiction lawsuit, rejects youth bans
Source: nytimes.com
- YouTube CEO Neal Mohan responded to a California lawsuit finding YouTube and Meta negligent for addictive features by arguing platforms should make the digital world safer for children, not shut them out entirely.
- Mohan rejected bans on social media for minors and called instead for practical, enforceable parental controls rather than restricting access to content libraries.
- Mohan expressed confidence that top creators will never leave YouTube, saying the platform remains their "home" despite competition from Netflix and other streaming services.
YouTube CEO Neal Mohan sat down with The New York Times' "The Interview" series (published March 28, 2026) days after a California jury found YouTube and Meta liable for harming a teenager's mental health through addictive design features. Rather than defend the platform against addiction claims, Mohan reframed the debate: the solution isn't to keep children off the internet but to teach them to navigate it safely. He rejected growing calls to ban social media for minors, including Australia's r