On Tuesday, more than a dozen U.S. states and the District of Columbia filed lawsuits against TikTok, accusing the popular video-sharing app of being designed to be addictive to children and harmful to their mental health. The lawsuits are part of a larger national investigation that began in March 2022, led by a bipartisan group of attorneys general from states like New York, California, Kentucky, and New Jersey. All of the complaints were filed in state courts.
The core issue of the lawsuits is TikTok’s algorithm, which curates content for users by filling their “For You” feed based on their interests. The lawsuits argue that certain design features, like endless scrolling, push notifications with vibrations, and filters that promote unrealistic appearances, are meant to hook young users on the platform.
“They’ve chosen profit over the health and safety, well-being and future of our children,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said at a news conference in San Francisco. “And that is not something we can accept. So we’ve sued.”
These lawsuits come nearly a year after states sued Instagram’s parent company, Meta Platforms Inc., for allegedly contributing to the mental health crisis among young people by creating addictive features to keep them engaged. According to District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb, keeping users on social media platforms is essential to their ad revenue model, but it also has serious mental health consequences. “But unfortunately, that’s also how they generate adverse mental health impacts on the users,” he said.
The lawsuits against TikTok and other social media platforms, such as Google’s YouTube, are part of a broader reckoning with the impact these companies have on the lives of young people. Some compare these legal actions to past lawsuits against the tobacco and pharmaceutical industries.
TikTok faces additional pressure as its existence in the U.S. is in jeopardy. A federal law passed earlier this year could result in the app being banned in the U.S. by mid-January unless its parent company, ByteDance, sells the platform. TikTok and ByteDance are challenging the law, and a federal appeals court is expected to issue a ruling soon.
The District of Columbia’s lawsuit describes TikTok’s algorithm as “dopamine-inducing,” claiming it was designed to be addictive, despite the company knowing that excessive use can lead to mental health issues like anxiety, depression, and body dysmorphia. TikTok, however, disagrees with the accusations. “We strongly disagree with these claims, many of which we believe to be inaccurate and misleading,” said Alex Haurek, a TikTok spokesperson. “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.”
TikTok has policies that prevent children under 13 from using the main service and limit content for users under 18. However, the lawsuits argue that children can easily bypass these safeguards.
Additionally, the District of Columbia accuses TikTok of running an “unlicensed virtual economy” by allowing users to purchase TikTok Coins, a virtual currency that can be used to send Gifts to streamers on TikTok LIVE. Streamers can cash out these gifts for real money, with TikTok taking a 50% commission. The complaint alleges that TikTok has not registered as a money transmitter with U.S. authorities and claims that minors are being exploited for explicit content on the platform’s live-streaming feature, likening it to a “virtual strip club.”
The attorneys general aim to stop TikTok from using these addictive features, seek financial penalties for its alleged illegal practices, and collect damages for the harm caused to users.
By: Montana Newsroom staff
