Array
TikTok is already fighting for its life in America. Congress passed and President Biden signed a law which requires the Chinese company to either sell its US operation or be banned by January. The company is still fighting that in court. Now TikTok has been sued by a group of 13 states who allege the site harm’s the mental health of children.
A bipartisan group of 14 attorneys general from across the country filed lawsuits on Tuesday against TikTok, alleging that the platform has “addicted” young people and harmed their mental health.
The lawsuits take issue with various elements of the TikTok platform, including its endlessly scrolling feed of content, TikTok “challenge” videos that sometimes encourage users to engage in risky behavior and late-night push notifications that the attorneys general claim can disrupt kids’ sleep.
“TikTok’s underlying business model focuses on maximizing young users’ time on the platform so the company can boost revenue from selling targeted ads,” the attorneys general said in a statement. “TikTok uses an addictive, content-recommendation system designed to keep minors on the platform as long as possible and as often as possible, despite the dangers of compulsive use.”
In addition to compulsive use, the lawsuits take aim at the filters on the site.
The states have also taken umbrage with beauty filters on TikTok — technology that alters the faces of users — saying that they are especially problematic for young women. New York’s lawsuit cited a study saying that 50 percent of girls believe they do not look good without editing.
