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What just happened? The debate over social media's impact on young people's mental health continues to intensify as US states and the federal government take legal action against these companies. The outcome of these lawsuits could have significant implications for how social media platforms operate and regulate content for younger users in the future.
A group of 14 state attorneys general has filed lawsuits against TikTok, accusing it of harming children's mental health and violating consumer protection laws. The bipartisan coalition, led by New York and California, alleges that TikTok's platform is designed to be addictive and exploits young users.
The lawsuits claim TikTok uses manipulative features to keep children engaged for long periods. These include endless scrolling, autoplay videos, and frequent push notifications. The attorneys general argue that these tactics can lead to mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and sleep problems in young users.
"TikTok claims their platform is safe for young people, but that is far from true," said New York Attorney General Letitia James.
The legal action also target TikTok's beauty filters, which critics say can contribute to body image issues and eating disorders among teenagers, especially young girls.
Another concern raised in the lawsuits is the misuse of TikTok's live-streaming feature. State officials allege that underage users have hosted live streams where viewers can send money through digital gifts. This practice has reportedly been used for the sexual exploitation of minors.
"TikTok's unregulated and illegal virtual economy allows the darkest, most depraved corners of society to prey upon vulnerable victims," Attorney General Brian Schwalb of the District of Columbia told CNBC.
"The company knows what is happening and has chosen to ignore it. This lawsuit seeks to put an end to its illegal, deceptive, and predatory behavior," he said.
The attorneys general also accuse TikTok of prioritizing profits over user safety. They claim the company's business model focuses on maximizing young users' time on the platform to increase ad revenue.
TikTok has disputed the allegations and says the claims are inaccurate and misleading.
– TikTok Policy (@TikTokPolicy) October 8, 2024Our statement on today's Attorneys General lawsuits:
"We strongly disagree with these claims, many of which we believe to be inaccurate and misleading. We're proud of and remain deeply committed to the work we've done to protect teens and we will continue to update and improve...
The lawsuits seek to stop TikTok's allegedly harmful practices and impose financial penalties on the company. They also demand that TikTok reimburse profits gained from advertisements targeting underage users.
These suits come as TikTok is dealing with many legal issues. The platform is already facing potential bans in the US due to national security concerns and a separate lawsuit from the US Department of Justice over alleged violations of children's privacy laws.
The Justice Department last month accused TikTok of illegally harvesting data on children and of breaching a previous legal settlement the company made with the government in 2019 after the Federal Trade Commission referred a complaint against TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, to the department. The FTC stated it had investigated both companies and "uncovered reason to believe" they are "violating or are about to violate" the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.
The DoJ lawsuit claims TikTok knowingly allowed millions of children under 13 to create accounts on its platform, despite the previous court order prohibiting this practice. The company then collected extensive personal data from these underage users without parental consent.
The coalition of attorneys general includes representatives from Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia, in addition to New York and California.
These lawsuits reflect a growing trend of state-level legal action against social media companies over child safety concerns. Similar suits have been filed against other platforms, including Meta and Snapchat.