The News
More than a dozen US states sued TikTok Tuesday, alleging the app’s features are designed to deceive and addict users. The suit comes as the ByteDance-owned social media company strives to avoid a potential ban in the US after federal lawmakers, concerned over its Chinese owner and national security concerns, voted to force its sale or prohibit it entirely.
TikTok’s CEO Shou Zi Chew testified in January to a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting on child sexual exploitation, where lawmakers repeatedly asked him about Chinese state influence over the app and criticized child safety on the platform.
In the new suit, TikTok is alleged to have “manipulative design features” that are “good for business,” but which “enables other serious harms to minors including sexual exploitation.” TikTok responded on X that it “strongly disagreed” with the allegations and had sought to work with state lawmakers to address their concerns.
Know More
The suit is the latest in a string of legal challenges filed by US states aimed at curbing social media, and in particular, how children interact with these platforms.
TikTok was previously sued in August over failing to protect minors’ privacy on the app, while in September, New Mexico sued Snap, which makes Snapchat, alleging the app promoted illicit sexual material involving children and facilitated extortion. Meta is also involved in protracted legal battles with US states over Instagram and its other apps, with the company most recently agreeing to pay $1.4 billion to settle a Texas lawsuit over biometric data.