More Than a Dozen States Sue TikTok Over Alleged Harm to Teen Mental Health
Attorneys general from 14 states and districts have filed lawsuits against TikTok, accusing the platform of harming children’s mental health and misleading the public about its safety. The bipartisan coalition, led by New York Attorney General Letitia James and California Attorney General Rob Bonta, claims TikTok violates state laws by fostering social media addiction to maximize profits. “TikTok intentionally targets children, knowing they lack the capacity to set healthy boundaries with addictive content,” Bonta stated. James emphasized that the lawsuits are part of a larger effort to protect young people and address the ongoing youth mental health crisis.
The lawsuits allege that TikTok’s design features, such as autoplaying videos, temporary stories, and beauty filters, contribute to harmful behaviors among children. They also highlight viral challenges linked to dangerous outcomes, including some that have led to teen deaths. These features, according to the AGs, violate various laws, including the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which TikTok is accused of breaching by collecting data from users under 13 through deficient policies that allow minors to access the platform.
The suits argue that TikTok misled users about its safety features, such as its screen time limits, which are easily bypassed by teens. In addition, they claim the company failed to properly warn users about the risks associated with beauty filters and marketed its platform as being unsuitable for children despite hosting child-targeted content.
The lawsuits seek court intervention to halt TikTok’s alleged harmful practices and impose financial penalties. TikTok, already facing the potential threat of a U.S. ban if it loses its legal battle against federal regulations, responded by denying the claims. TikTok spokesperson Alex Haurek stated that the company strongly disagrees with the allegations, arguing that many are inaccurate and misleading. Haurek also noted that TikTok has been collaborating with the AGs for over two years and expressed disappointment at their decision to file the lawsuits instead of working toward industry-wide solutions.
State attorneys general have increasingly taken legal action against tech platforms accused of endangering children’s safety. In addition to the TikTok lawsuits, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez has sued Snap and Meta for allegedly allowing child predators on their platforms, and several states have filed similar suits against Meta for its impact on kids.
