Multiple U.S. states have sued TikTok over claims that the video app is designed to be addictive to kids and harms their mental health.
Over a dozen U.S. states and Washington D.C. have filed lawsuits against TikTok in relation to the app’s effect on teens and other young users.
The 13 states, which include New York and California, allege that the company is damaging children’s mental health with a product designed to be used compulsively and excessively.
The lawsuits stem from a national investigation into TikTok, which was launched in March 2022 by a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general from many states, including New York, California, Kentucky, and New Jersey.
All of the complaints were filed in state courts and claim that TikTok’s algorithm is particularly dangerous given the platform’s widespread use among young people and its ability to deliver quick hits of dopamine.
An ‘Addictive’ App for Children
According to AP News, the lawsuits focus on TikTok’s algorithm, which drives the app’s “For You” feed by recommending content based on users’ preferences.
The lawsuits note TikTok design features that they say addict children to the platform, such as the ability to scroll endlessly through content, push notifications that come with built-in “buzzes” and face filters that create unattainable appearances for users.
“TikTok knows that compulsive use of and other harmful effects of its platform are wreaking havoc on the mental health of millions of American children and teenagers,” the lawsuit, which was filed in New York on Tuesday, says.
“Despite such documented knowledge, TikTok continually misrepresents its platform as ‘safe’ [and] ‘appropriate for children and teenagers’.”
New York Attorney General Letitia James says that young people across the U.S. had died or been injured doing TikTok “challenges” and many others were feeling “more sad, anxious and depressed because of TikTok’s addictive features.”
The BBC reports that James referenced a 15-year-old boy who died in Manhattan while “subway surfing,” riding on top of a moving subway car. After his death, his mother discovered TikTok videos of similar stunts on his phone.
TikTok does not allow children under 13 to sign up for its main service and restricts some content for everyone under 18. But in their lawsuits, the District of Columbia and several other states say that children can easily bypass those restrictions, allowing them to access the service adults use despite the company’s claims that its platform is safe for children.
TikTok says it is disappointed with the lawsuits and the company is dismayed that the states had not chosen to work with the service on their concerns.
“We strongly disagree with these claims, many of which we believe to be inaccurate and misleading,” a TikTok spokesperson says.
The lawsuits come as TikTok fights against legislation passed by Congress that would ban the app in the U.S. in January unless it Chinese parent company ByteDance agrees to a sale.
Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.