Vermont Attorney General Sues TikTok for Harming Youth

Vermont has filed a consumer protection lawsuit against TikTok, saying the social media company created a platform that is addictive and harmful to teens — and then lied about and downplayed the risks it poses to young users. The complaint, filed by Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark, alleges that TikTok’s slot machine-like interface is “a strategic decision that has allowed it to effectively lure young users into cycles of overuse.” The platform’s livestream feature, “TikTok LIVE,” has resulted in the sexual and financial exploitation of young people, the indictment said. “TikTok profits from making children and teens addicted to their platform, and that is by design,” Clark said Tuesday. “The time has come to put an end to this harmful practice and restore the mental and physical health of young people.” The complaint asks the company to make substantial changes to the way the app works and seek financial assistance to address the damage the app has caused. also filed separate lawsuits against TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance on Tuesday. Seven other states have filed similar lawsuits in recent months. More than 60 percent of all American teens use TikTok, with nearly 1 in 5 saying they are. app “nearly constantly,” according to a 2023 Pew Research Center study. In Vermont, 30 percent of Vermont high school students spend five or more hours a day in front of screens, including smartphones and social media platforms, according to the 2021 Youth .Research into risk behavior. (content-1) In a statement to “We are proud of and remain deeply committed to the work we have done to protect teens and we will continue to update and improve our product,” TikTok’s statement read. “We have been trying to work with the attorneys general for more than two years, and it is incredibly disappointing that they have taken this step instead of working with us on constructive solutions to industry-wide challenges.” TikTok has had its fair share of problems in recent months. In April, President Joe Biden signed a TikTok ban into law, stating that the platform can only continue to operate in the US if ByteDance sells the app to a US-approved company. The company is appealing against the ban. In August, the US…