TikTok is facing fresh legal challenges as 13 US states and the District of Columbia filed lawsuits on Tuesday, accusing the social media giant of harming young users and failing to protect them adequately. The lawsuits, brought forward in states including New York, California, the District of Columbia, and 11 others, expand TikTok's ongoing legal battles with US regulators and seek financial penalties against the Chinese-owned platform. The states claim TikTok uses addictive software designed to keep children glued to the app for extended periods, while also misrepresenting the effectiveness of its content moderation. “TikTok cultivates social media addiction to boost corporate profits,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta in a statement. “The platform specifically targets children, knowing that they lack the capacity to set healthy boundaries around addictive content.” The lawsuits allege TikTok is focused on maximising the time users spend on the platform, allowing it to serve more targeted ads. “Young people are struggling with their mental health because of addictive social media platforms like TikTok,” added New York Attorney General Letitia James. In response, TikTok stated it “strongly disagreed” with the allegations, calling them “inaccurate and misleading.” The company expressed disappointment that the states had chosen litigation instead of working with the platform to find solutions to challenges that affect the entire industry. TikTok said it offers safety features such as screen time limits and privacy protections, particularly for users under 16. Washington DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb also accused TikTok of running an unlicensed money transmission business through its live streaming and virtual currency features. “TikTok’s platform is dangerous by design. It is created to be addictive, especially for young people,” Schwalb said. The Washington lawsuit went further, accusing TikTok of enabling the sexual exploitation of underage users, claiming its live streaming and virtual currency features functioned like “a virtual strip club with no age restrictions.” In addition to New York and California, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Vermont, and Washington state also filed lawsuits on Tuesday. Back in March 2022, eight US states, including California and Massachusetts, announced a nationwide investigation into TikTok’s impact on young users. The US Department of Justice also sued TikTok in August, alleging the platform failed to protect children’s privacy. Other states, including Utah and Texas, have previously taken legal action against TikTok for not safeguarding children from harm. TikTok has rejected the allegations in court. Meanwhile, ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, continues to fight against US legislation that could see the app banned in the country.
