TikTok: ‘A virtual strip club’: 13 US states sue TikTok over mental health and safety concerns

TikTok faces new legal challenges as 13 US states and the District of Columbia lawsuits on Tuesday, accuses the popular social media platform of endangering and not protecting young users. The lawsuits, filed separately in New York, California and eleven other states, extend TikTok’s ongoing legal battle with U.S. regulators and seek financial sanctions, as reported by Reuters news agency.
The states allege that TikTok deliberately uses addictive software to keep children occupied for extended periods of time, misrepresenting its effectiveness in content moderation. “TikTok cultivates social media addiction to increase corporate profits,” he says Attorney General of California Rob Bonta. “TikTok intentionally targets children because they know children don’t yet have the defenses or ability to create healthy boundaries around addictive content.”
Washington DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb alleged that TikTok operates an unlicensed money transmission business through livestreaming and virtual currency features. He described TikTok as “dangerous by design”, aiming to get young people addicted to their screens.
The Washington lawsuit also accused TikTok of facilitating the sexual exploitation of underage users, claiming its livestreaming features resemble “a virtual strip club without age restrictions.”
attorney general of New York Letitia James also raised concerns about the mental health issues young people face as a result of addictive platforms such as TikTok. In response, TikTok expressed strong disagreement with the claims, calling many “inaccurate and misleading,” and expressed disappointment that the states chose litigation over working together on constructive solutions.
This lawsuit adds to a growing list of legal actions against TikTok, including a recent lawsuit from the U.S. Department of Justice alleging that children’s privacy is not protected on the app.