Google faces billion-pound risk as YouTube feeds teens harmful content

YouTube’s recommendation algorithm continues to serve harmful eating disorder content to teenage users across Europe, the UK and the US, according to the Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH). A simulated account mimicking a 13-year-old girl found that one in ten videos suggested by the platform's Up Next feature promoted extreme thinness or dangerous calorie restriction. The findings come despite the UK’s Online Safety Act, which took effect in July 2025 and legally requires platforms to shield minors from harmful material.

For Google, YouTube’s parent company, the persistent algorithmic failures represent a significant financial and operational risk. Under the UK legislation, tech firms that fail to mitigate risks posed by their recommendation algorithms can be fined up to 10% of their global revenues. For a company of Google's scale, such a penalty would run into billions of pounds. The research shows that despite deploying crisis panels and expert-curated content, the core algorithmic engine that drives user engagement remains a liability.

The CCDH tested profiles in the UK, US, and the EU, yielding similar results across all three regions. While the situation has improved since a 2024 test—when harmful content made up one in four recommendations—safety features still failed to trigger during the latest experiment. None of the harmful eating disorder videos served to the simulated teen activated YouTube's blue crisis panel, which is designed to direct vulnerable users to mental health services.

The material pushed by the algorithm included accounts idolising extreme thinness and a diet promoting a daily intake of just 170 calories. "But one video is too many and we don't want any of this content to get through, particularly to vulnerable users, where just a small algorithmic nudge can be enough to push them into a very dangerous situation," said Alexandra Johnson, senior research manager at CCDH. Google stated it had removed the highlighted videos and maintained a "steadfast" commitment to stopping harmful content.

The regulatory scrutiny is escalating as the human cost remains evident. Jazmin Kaur, who developed anorexia at 13, spent six years in NHS treatment partly fueled by online content. "I was fed such extreme content towards the end that I took it for my own vulnerabilities," she said. Victoria Longley, chief executive of eating disorder charity Beat, noted that about 90% of the people her organisation speaks to report encountering harmful content online.

The regulatory environment for social media firms operating in Europe is rapidly tightening beyond the current fines. In June, the UK government announced plans to prevent under-16s from accessing major platforms including YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, with measures expected by spring 2027. If adopted and potentially mirrored by European neighbours, such an age ban could fundamentally shrink the user base and disrupt the advertising revenue models that underpin these technology companies.