More than a dozen states are coming together to sue TikTok, joining many other states that had previously done so, California Attorney General Rob Bonta and New York Attorney General Letitia James announced on Oct. 8.
The attorneys general announced that they are co-leading a bipartisan coalition of 14 attorneys general in filing suits against the social media company.
The legal actions, filed in Santa Clara County Superior Court and other jurisdictions, accuse the social media platform of exploiting and harming young users while deceiving the public about its dangers.
“Our investigation has revealed that TikTok cultivates social media addiction to boost corporate profits,” Bonta said in a statement. “TikTok intentionally targets children because they know kids do not yet have the defenses or capacity to create healthy boundaries around addictive content. When we look at the youth mental health crisis and the revenue machine TikTok has created, fueled by the time and attention of our young people, it’s devastatingly obvious: Our children and teens never stood a chance against these social media behemoths.”
A TikTok spokesperson told The Epoch Times that they “strongly disagree” with the claims by the attorneys general, many of which they believe to be “inaccurate and misleading.”
“We’re proud of and remain deeply committed to the work we’ve done to protect teens and we will continue to update and improve our product,” Michael Hughes, a TikTok spokesperson said in an email. “We provide robust safeguards, proactively remove suspected underage users, and have voluntarily launched safety features such as default screentime limits, family pairing, and privacy by default for minors under 16.”
The company added they have tried to work with the attorneys general for over two years, stating it is “incredibly disappointing they have taken this step rather than work with us on constructive solutions to industrywide challenges.”
The lawsuits allege that TikTok’s business model focuses on maximizing young users’ time on the platform to increase revenue from targeted advertising.
The attorneys general accused the company of employing manipulative features designed to keep minors engaged compulsively, despite the dangers of excessive use.
Specific features cited include the following:
- Beauty Filters: Alleged to foster unrealistic beauty standards and harm self-esteem, potentially leading to negative body image issues among young users.
- Autoplay and Infinite Scroll: Designed to make it difficult for users to disengage, leading to longer periods of uninterrupted use.
- Time-Sensitive Content: Features like TikTok Stories and TikTok Live exploit users’ fear of missing out, encouraging them to return to the platform frequently.
- Push Notifications: Used to entice young users back onto the platform, sometimes employing fake notifications to manipulate engagement.
- Social Validation Through Likes and Comments: Highlighting these metrics can have a powerful effect on young users, driving compulsive use and impacting mental health.
The coalition said that TikTok violates state consumer protection laws, including California’s Unfair Competition Law and False Advertising Law. They seek significant penalties, as well as injunctive and monetary relief, to address the alleged misconduct.
The use of TikTok is widespread among young people in the United States. A 2023 Pew Research survey found that 63 percent of Americans aged 13 to 17 reported using TikTok, with 17 percent stating they are on the platform “almost constantly,” according to the suits.
Attorneys general from Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Jersey, Oregon, South Carolina, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia joined the legal action.
With the latest filing, 23 attorneys general have now filed actions against TikTok regarding its conduct toward youth, including previous lawsuits from states like Utah, Nevada, Indiana, New Hampshire, Nebraska, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, and Texas.
“Kids and families across the country are desperate for help to address this crisis, and we are doing everything in our power to protect them,” said James, New York attorney general.
Bonta previously announced in 2022 a nationwide investigation into TikTok and later filed an amicus brief demanding the company comply with state investigations.
In October 2023, the state also joined a bipartisan coalition in filing a federal lawsuit against Meta, alleging the company designed features that addict children and teens to their detriment.
From The Epoch Times