New York Attorney General Letitia James and California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Tuesday announced a bipartisan coalition of 14 attorneys general in filing lawsuits against the social media platform TikTok.
The lawsuits, filed by each state individually, accuse TikTok of misleading the public about the safety of its platform and harming the mental health of young users, according to a press release.
The lawsuits claim that TikTok violated state laws by falsely promoting its platform as safe for young users, while many were subjected to content that caused them to suffer from mental health and body image issues which they attribute to the app's addictive features.
“Young people are struggling with their mental health because of addictive social media platforms like TikTok,” Attorney General James said. “TikTok claims that their platform is safe for young people, but that is far from true. In New York and across the country, young people have died or gotten injured doing dangerous TikTok challenges and many more are feeling more sad, anxious, and depressed because of TikTok’s addictive features.”
The lawsuit alleges that TikTok uses an addictive content-recommendation system designed to keep minors on the platform for extended periods, increasing revenue through targeted ads.
California Attorney General Bonta accuses the company of intentionally targeting children to boost profits, despite the harmful effects on young users’ mental health.
“When we look at the youth mental health crisis and the revenue machine TikTok has created, fuelled 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,” Bonta said.
The lawsuits also highlight the dangers of viral TikTok “challenges,” which have resulted in injuries and deaths among young users. For example, a 15-year-old boy in Manhattan died after participating in the “subway surfing” challenge. The lawsuit also cites the Kia Challenge, which has led to a rise in car thefts and fatal accidents.
In addition to mental health concerns, the lawsuits accuse TikTok of violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) by collecting and monetizing data from children under 13 without parental consent. The attorneys general are seeking to hold TikTok accountable for these practices, which they say exploit young users for profit.
