Reuters reports:
TikTok faces new lawsuits filed by 13 U.S. states and the District of Columbia on Tuesday, accusing the popular social media platform of harming and failing to protect young people.
The lawsuits filed separately in New York, California, the District of Columbia and 11 other states, expand Chinese-owned TikTok’s legal fight with U.S. regulators, and seek new financial penalties against the company.
The states accuse TikTok of using intentionally addictive software designed to keep children watching as long and often as possible and misrepresenting its content moderation effectiveness. “TikTok cultivates social media addiction to boost corporate profits,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement.
Read the full article. The other states suing separately are Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Vermont, and Washington. Tweets below are from Washington DC’s attorney general.
TikTok faces new lawsuits filed by 13 US states and the District of Columbia, accusing the popular social media platform of harming and failing to protect young people https://t.co/g0KP6vB6gd pic.twitter.com/C2JdnCL08G
— Reuters Legal (@ReutersLegal) October 8, 2024
NEW: We are suing TikTok for exploiting DC children.
TikTok lies to families about its platform’s safety and deploys an addictive design to prey on our kids.
TikTok also illegally operates a virtual currency system and uses it to profit from the sexual exploitation of children.
— AG Brian Schwalb (@DCAttorneyGen) October 8, 2024
TikTok’s predatory behavior is inflicting incalculable damage on an entire generation of young people.
It fuels mental health problems, sleep loss, body dysmorphia, suicidal thoughts, and pedophilia.
TikTok knows this is happening but ignores it.
We are suing to stop it.
— AG Brian Schwalb (@DCAttorneyGen) October 8, 2024
First, the deception.
TikTok claims it is committed to making its platform safe for children, but its actions prove otherwise.
In reality, TikTok *knows* its content moderation, parental controls, age verification, and safety protocols are failing and putting kids in danger.
— AG Brian Schwalb (@DCAttorneyGen) October 8, 2024
TikTok feeds its vulnerable underage users an intentionally addictive algorithm to trap them on TikTok for hours.
Infinite scroll.
Push notifications.
Face filters.
Purchases as child-like emojis.TikTok uses these features to endlessly hook children and extract their money. pic.twitter.com/6pJCUZRJkf
— AG Brian Schwalb (@DCAttorneyGen) October 8, 2024
TikTok is helping fuel a mental health crisis among our kids.
As TikTok grew in popularity starting in 2018, the number of DC students who reported feeling hopeless or having suicidal thoughts surged.
Again, TikTok knows its app harms kids, but it puts profits over safety. pic.twitter.com/W6CpP2BoGc
— AG Brian Schwalb (@DCAttorneyGen) October 8, 2024
TikTok operates an illegal unlicensed virtual currency called TikTok Coins.
By failing to register as a money transmitter with @DCDISB and @USTreasury, it violated DC and federal law.
TikTok blatantly skirts laws that guard against child exploitation, fraud and other crimes.
— AG Brian Schwalb (@DCAttorneyGen) October 8, 2024
TikTok profits from the sexual exploitation of children — operating like a virtual strip club.
TikTok touts its safety policies, but it allows teens to be exploited for sexually explicit content with its LIVE and Coins features.
It then pockets up to 50% of each transaction.
— AG Brian Schwalb (@DCAttorneyGen) October 8, 2024