The state of New York and thirteen others are suing TikTok

The state of New York is suing TikTok

Thirteen states, including New York and the District of Columbia, filed lawsuits against TikTok this week. New York Attorney General Letitia James, along with a bipartisan coalition, have filed separate lawsuits against the app, alleging that TikTok has violated consumer protection laws and is contributing to the growing mental health crisis among teens.

States are taking legal action against TikTok, claiming the app’s features are manipulative and harmful to teens. They try to force changes to the app and impose financial penalties on the company. The attorneys general allege that TikTok’s algorithm and engagement features encourage overuse that becomes addictive, leading to negative emotional and behavioral consequences for users, especially teens. They accuse the social media platform of downplaying these effects for profit.

“Young people are struggling with their mental health because of addictive social media platforms like TikTok,” New York State Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement. “TikTok claims that their platform is safe for young people, but that is far from the truth. In New York and across the country, young people have died or been injured during dangerous TikTok challenges, and many more are feeling sadder, more anxious, and more depressed because of TikTok’s addictive properties. Today we are suing TikTok to protect young people and help combat the nationwide youth mental health crisis. Children and families across the country are desperate for help to address this crisis, and we are doing everything we can to keep them safe.”

Lawsuit in New York

New York State Lawsuit is concerned about the impact of TikTok on the mental health of young users due to addictive properties, dangerous consequences of challenges, TikTok profiting from children’s data and falsely claiming that safety tools are effective.

The lawsuit alleges that TikTok’s addictive features, such as constant notifications, autoplay videos, attention-grabbing content, ephemeral “stories,” live content, likes and comments, and beauty filters, have been linked to negative mental health impacts.

It also highlights the dangerous consequences of TikTok challenges, such as surfing in the subway and the Kia Challengewhich have led to fatalities and car thefts. The lawsuit discusses TikTok’s violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) by collecting and monetizing user data under the age of 13. It also addresses TikTok’s misleading claims about the effectiveness of its safety tools and its failure to warn young users of potential dangers. TikTok’s platform is said to be not for children under 13, but the app continues to feature child-targeted content and advertising.

State investigators have been investigating TikTok for more than two years, and their investigation revealed many internal communications in which some employees compared the app’s algorithm to the addictive nature of slot machines.

In a statement to NPR, TikTok spokesperson Alex Haurek said, “We provide robust safeguards, proactively remove suspected underage users, and have voluntarily launched safety features such as default screen time limits, family linking, and default privacy for minors under 16.”

Come on

The lawsuits were filed by New York, California, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Jersey, Oregon, South Carolina, Vermont and Washington. Each state is seeking and may be able to get significant shifts in app safety protocols for young users.

Last year, states filed a lawsuit against Meta, claiming that its apps, Facebook and Instagram, failed to protect children. This year, Meta began responding to the overwhelming calls for change and parents looking for help navigating social media by rolling out Teen Accounts, which are essentially private accounts for younger users. Although the results of last year’s lawsuit are still pending, they have led to some steps for change. This week marks what could be the start of a shift in safety protocols on TikTok.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta stated: “When we look at the youth mental health crisis and the revenue machine that TikTok has created, fueled by the time and attention of our young people, it is devastatingly clear: our children and teens never stood a chance against these social media giants. TikTok must be held accountable for the harm it has caused by taking away the time – and childhood – of America’s children.”

Psst.. check out the new Pay It Forward phenomenon on TikTok.