14 state AGs file lawsuits targeting TikTok’s addictive features

Oct 8

Craig Nigrelli Anchor

By Craig Nigrelli (Anchor), William Jackson (Producer), Zachary Hill (Video Editor)

Attorneys general from 14 states and Washington, D.C., filed lawsuits Tuesday, Oct. 8, against TikTok, accusing the social media platform of harming young users’ mental health and violating consumer protection laws. The lawsuits allege that TikTok’s design encourages compulsive use through addictive features, such as autoplay and push notifications, which authorities argue have negatively impacted children’s well-being.

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The legal filings claim that TikTok, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, has misled the public about its safety for minors, exposing children to mental and physical risks.

The lawsuits also allege that TikTok violated federal laws, including the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), by collecting personal data from users under the age of 13 without parental consent.

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California Attorney General Rob Bonta, D, and New York Attorney General Letitia James, D, are leading the legal effort.

In a statement, James said, “TikTok claims their platform is safe for young people, but that is far from true.”

Bonta emphasized that TikTok knowingly designed its app to foster excessive use among children.

TikTok has not publicly commented on the lawsuits but has previously stated that it prioritizes user safety, particularly for minors.

The company is also facing separate legal challenges at the federal level, including a case regarding a potential nationwide ban due to national security concerns over its Chinese ownership.

The lawsuits are part of a broader push by state officials to hold social media companies accountable for their role in the youth mental health crisis.

The legal effort mirrors previous actions taken against Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, in which states sought to address similar issues related to the impact of social media on children’s mental health.

In addition to mental health concerns, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb’s, D, lawsuit accuses TikTok of operating an unlicensed payment system that targets children, allowing them to solicit money for performing inappropriate acts.

The suit claims that TikTok’s money transmission system exploits young users by using childlike animations and games to encourage financial transactions.

The states involved in the lawsuits include California, New York, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Vermont, Washington, and Washington, D.C.

Tags: Attorney General, ByteDance, Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, China, Facebook, Instagram, Instagram, Mental health, Meta, People’s Republic of China, Social Media, TikTok

Craig Nigrelli

TIKTOK FACES A NEW WAVE OF LEGAL CHALLENGES. A BIPARTISAN COALITION OF 14 STATE ATTORNEYS GENERAL FILED LAWSUITS TUESDAY, ACCUSING THE PLATFORM OF JEOPARDIZING CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH WITH ADDICTIVE FEATURES.

THE LAWSUITS SPECIFICALLY TARGET TIKTOK FEATURES LIKE AUTOPLAY, WHICH KEEPS USERS WATCHING VIDEOS FOR EXTENDED PERIODS, PUSH NOTIFICATIONS THAT ENCOURAGE CONSTANT APP USE, AND BEAUTY FILTERS THAT CAN EXACERBATE BODY IMAGE ISSUES.

THE PLATFORM WAS ALREADY UNDER FIRE FOR ITS HANDLING OF USER DATA AND POTENTIAL NATIONAL SECURITY THREATS.

THE NEW COMPLAINTS ALSO CITE DANGEROUS VIRAL CHALLENGES ON THE PLATFORM THAT HAVE LED TO REAL-WORLD HARM. TIKTOK IS ACCUSED OF MISLEADING USERS BY CLAIMING THE PLATFORM IS SAFE FOR CHILDREN.

LED BY NEW YORK AND CALIFORNIA, THE LAWSUITS ARE PART OF A BROADER EFFORT TO ADDRESS YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES LINKED TO EXCESSIVE SOCIAL MEDIA USE. HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND PUBLIC FIGURES, INCLUDING THE U.S. SURGEON GENERAL HAVE RAISED CONCERNS ABOUT THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH.

TIKTOK, OWNED BY CHINA-BASED BYTEDANCE, HAS PREVIOUSLY DEFENDED ITS POLICIES, SAYING THE COMPANY HAS TAKEN STEPS TO RESTRICT CONTENT AND PROTECT YOUNGER USERS, SUCH AS LIMITING SCREEN TIME AND PROVIDING PRIVACY SETTINGS FOR TEENS.

HOWEVER, THE ATTORNEYS GENERAL CLAIM THESE MEASURES ARE INSUFFICIENT AND ACCUSE THE COMPANY OF PRIORITIZING PROFIT OVER SAFETY BY MAXIMIZING THE TIME CHILDREN SPEND ON THE APP TO INCREASE ADVERTISING REVENUE.

TIKTOK IS ALSO FACING A LAWSUIT FROM THE U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, WHICH ALLEGES THE COMPANY VIOLATED FEDERAL LAWS PROTECTING CHILDREN’S ONLINE PRIVACY BY COLLECTING DATA FROM USERS UNDER 13 WITHOUT PARENTAL CONSENT — ECHOING SIMILAR COMPLAINTS FILED AGAINST OTHER MAJOR SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES LIKE FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM IN RECENT YEARS.

EARLIER THIS YEAR, U.S. SURGEON GENERAL VIVEK MURTHY WARNED THAT SOCIAL MEDIA USE IS CONTRIBUTING TO RISING LEVELS OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND OTHER MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS AMONG CHILDREN AND TEENS.

TIKTOK HAS NOT RESPONDED TO THE LAWSUITS BUT HAS PREVIOUSLY STATED THAT IT PRIORITIZES USER SAFETY, ESPECIALLY FOR MINORS.

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