A state is suing one of the world’s biggest social media apps over allegations that it was built to get children and teens addicted while hiding the toll on their mental health.
The lawsuit accuses TikTok and parent company ByteDance of using infinite scrolling, auto-play, push notifications and appearance-altering filters to keep minors on the app so the company can profit from their data, says Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes.
“TikTok touts its supposed safety measures to convince parents that this product is safe for young people. But behind the company’s marketing is a platform engineered to exploit the vulnerabilities of developing brains, pushing Arizona kids toward compulsive use, harmful content, and dangerous behaviors while failing to protect them from adults who use the social media platform to groom or solicit minors. It’s unconscionable.”
The complaint alleges TikTok downplayed or failed to disclose risks including depression, anxiety, disordered eating and self-harm. It also alleges the company knowingly allows children under 13 on the app despite publicly claiming to bar them.
“The complaint further alleges that TikTok’s recommendation algorithms expose minors to increasingly extreme, harmful, or age?inappropriate content and that TikTok’s content?moderation practices are inadequate to block much of the dangerous material on the platform.”
The state alleges TikTok’s 60-minute screen time limit for teens was known not to cut their use.
A TikTok spokesperson denies the allegations, reports KJZZ.
Says the spokesperson,
“This lawsuit relies on misleading and inaccurate claims and deliberately ignores the concrete safety measures TikTok has voluntarily implemented to support the well-being of our community. We will vigorously defend against these claims.”
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