Several US states are suing TikTok for harming children

The latest legal wave follows an investigation into TikTok that began in March 2022. The investigation was initiated by a group of attorneys general from several states, including New York, California, Kentucky and New Jersey. All of the lawsuits have been filed in state courts.

The lawsuits center on TikTok’s algorithm, which analyzes user preferences and constantly displays content with features that the plaintiffs say are addictive to children, such as unlimited scrolling, push notifications, and “magical” beauty filters. Nearly a year ago, Meta, the “giant” behind Instagram, was also brought to court over similar allegations.

In its October 8 lawsuit, the District of Columbia argued that TikTok’s algorithm was intentionally designed to be addictive, allowing it to “keep” child users on the platform for hours at a time. According to the lawsuit, TikTok uses these tactics despite knowing that they can have negative psychological and physiological effects, such as anxiety, depression, and a host of other long-term problems.

In response, TikTok spokesperson Alex Haurek said the above allegations were untrue and misleading, while once again affirming the company's commitment to protecting young users and promising to continue improving the product.

TikTok bans use by children under 13 and imposes some content restrictions on users under 18. However, Washington and many other states say it is still easy for children to “circumvent the law” to access adult content.

The District of Columbia also accused TikTok of operating an “illegal virtual economy” by allowing users to purchase TikTok Coins – a form of in-app virtual currency – to “gift” streamers on TikTok LIVE. According to the lawsuit, TikTok receives a 50% commission on these financial transactions, but is not registered as a money transmitter with the US Treasury or other authorities.

The 14 attorneys general said the goal of the lawsuits is to stop TikTok from using the features, impose financial penalties, and require the company to compensate users for their losses.

Social media use by minors is widespread in the United States and around the world. According to the Pew Research Center, nearly all 13- to 17-year-olds in the United States use some form of social media platform, with about a third saying they use it “almost constantly.”