NY, NJ among states suing TikTok for falsely claiming ‘addictive’ platform is safe for children

Attorneys general in 13 states and the District of Columbia have filed lawsuits against TikTok for harming the mental health of children and teens and misleading the public about the platform’s safety.

The lawsuits, all filed separately in state courts, allege the “addictive” video-sharing platform violated state laws by claiming the app is safe for young people.

In reality, several users suffer from poor mental health and body image issues. Some are even physically harming themselves because of so-called TikTok “challenges” created and promoted on the platform, the bipartisan coalition of attorneys general said.

“TikTok claims their platform is safe for young people, but that is far from the truth,” New York AG Letitia James said in a statement on Tuesday. “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.”

The 14 attorneys general, from New York, New Jersey and California, among others, filed the lawsuits to “help combat the nationwide youth mental health crisis,” James said. “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.”

According to California Attorney General Rob Bonta, TikTok knowingly uses social media addiction to increase profits. Children are “intentionally” targeted because the company knows that “children do not yet have the defenses or ability to create healthy boundaries around addictive content.”

Although the app is only available to users over 13, children can easily circumvent TikTok’s minimum age restrictions, the complaint from DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb alleges.

Officials also accuse the company of enabling — and profiting from — the sexual exploitation of children through its livestream feature, which essentially allows the app to function as a virtual strip club without age restrictions.

TikTok, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, strongly opposed the complaints, condemning the claims as “Incorrect and misleading.”

“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,” a company spokesperson said in a response to the lawsuits. “It is incredibly disappointing that the AGs have taken this step instead of working with us on constructive solutions to industry-wide challenges.”

Earlier this year, President Joe Biden signed a law requiring ByteDance to divest or ban the app in the US over national security concerns. In May, the company sued the U.S. government for passing “a law that subjects a single speech platform to a permanent, nationwide ban, and prohibits any American from participating in a unique online community.”