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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.
The lawsuits were each filed separately by members of the coalition, co-led by New York Attorney General Letitia James and California Attorney General Rob Bonta. And they mark just the latest legal pressure facing TikTok, which is also battling a law that could see it banned in the United States as soon as next year, a lawsuit from the US Justice Department alleging the platform unlawfully collected children’s data and several state actions.
In June, New York’s governor also signed into law a bill to regulate social media algorithms; for example, it will require platforms to display content in chronological order to users under the age of 18, which could force TikTok to overhaul how it operates. And last month, 42 state attorneys general called on US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy to require labels on social media apps warning of their potential harm to young users.
TikTok, for its part, has repeatedly said it believes its platform is safe for children and that it offers safety features such as default screentime limits for young users and optional parental oversight tools. CNN has reached out to TikTok for comment on the latest lawsuits.
