Lawsuit Filed by 13 US States Against TikTok Alleges Harm to Young People’s Mental Health
Thirteen US states and Washington DC are filing lawsuits against TikTok, alleging that the app is harmful to children’s mental health and fails to adequately protect them.
The lawsuits claim that TikTok is purposely designed to be addictive and keep teenagers hooked to their screens.
TikTok has refuted the claims, stating that features like default screen time limits and privacy settings for users under 16 are in place.
The legal action adds to the challenges facing TikTok, owned by Chinese company Bytedance, as it also faces a potential ban in the US over concerns about data sharing with the Chinese government.
New York attorney general Letitia James expressed that social media platforms like TikTok are contributing to mental health struggles among young people.
The lawsuits further allege that TikTok is responsible for various psychological and physical harms, including depression, anxiety, and body dysmorphia.
Additionally, the legal action claims that TikTok enables a “virtual strip club with no age restrictions” to operate through its live streaming and virtual currency features.
TikTok spokesperson Alex Haurek expressed disappointment that the states did not engage with the service to address their concerns collaboratively.
Haurek stated, “We strongly disagree with these claims, many of which we believe to be inaccurate and misleading.”
TikTok emphasizes its commitment to protecting teenagers and continues to update and enhance its platform.
The company has been in discussions with attorneys general for over two years and is disappointed by the legal action taken instead of pursuing constructive solutions to industry challenges.
TikTok provides safety features such as default screen time limits and privacy settings for users under 16, and restricts access to its main service for users under 13.
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The lawsuits filed stem from an investigation launched by a bipartisan coalition of prosecutors in March 2022 and include several states suing TikTok.
Involved states are: California, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Vermont, Washington state, and Washington DC.
Previous child protection cases against TikTok have been filed by other US states, and in August, the US Justice Department sued the app for allegedly failing to protect children’s privacy.
The primary threat to TikTok remains a new US law that could result in a ban unless Bytedance divests from it.
The company has appealed the ruling, with a decision pending from judges that might escalate to the Supreme Court.
