YouTube CEO Neal Mohan rejects joining Meta's $18 billion child safety settlement

September 24, 2026 at 03:31 AM2 min

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YouTube CEO Neal Mohan dismissed joining Meta's $18 billion multistate child safety settlement, saying the platform already has strong protections for young users. Mohan cited existing measures like parental time limits on Shorts and third-party expert advice. His comments came at the Made on YouTube event on Wednesday, where the company announced new AI tools and messaging features.

Key Facts

Meta agreed to an $18 billion settlement with multiple states over claims its platforms contributed to a youth mental health crisis.
Under the deal, Meta would pay only 70% of the settlement unless TikTok and YouTube each pay around $6 billion and adopt similar changes.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta said states are willing to take TikTok and YouTube to court if needed to get them on board.
YouTube and Meta were found liable in a separate March trial for intentionally addicting a young woman and harming her mental health.

Mohan's Rejection

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan dismissed joining Meta's multistate child safety settlement, stating the platform already has measures in place to protect young users. Mohan told CNN that YouTube has invested in making young people safe on its platform for a very long time. He cited an option for parents to limit time teens spend on Shorts and work with third-party experts on child safety features. Mohan also noted YouTube is a very different platform from Meta, with users watching more content on living room TVs.

Settlement Pressure

Meta has pressured rivals like YouTube and TikTok to adopt similar changes, including time limits and removing like counts for teens. The settlement requires Meta to pay only 70% unless TikTok and YouTube each pay about $6 billion and make similar changes. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said states are willing to take TikTok and YouTube to court if needed. TikTok has not commented on calls to join Meta's agreement.