Dozens of states in the US are now suing TikTok and its owner, ByteDance, for allegedly driving the mental health crisis among teenagers.
The lawsuit was brought forth by a bipartisan group of 14 attorney generals from many states, including California, Kentucky, New Jersey, and New York. The lawsuit stems from a national investigation launched in March 2022 into TikTok, which probed whether it had harmful effects on the mental health of its young users.
Specifically, the lawsuit accused TikTok of using targeted advertising and addictive features such as face filters and push notifications with "buzzers." These features make users, especially young children and teens, stay on the platform longer, further exposing them to comments that could lower their self-esteem and harm their mental health, per IGN.
"They've chosen profit over the health and safety, well-being and future of our children," California Attorney General Rob Bonta said at a news conference, as quoted by AP News. "And that is not something we can accept. So we've sued."
TikTok Challenges
In addition to harming the mental health of its young users, the lawsuit also alleged that TikTok, particularly challenges that go viral on its platform, is putting the safety of children at risk. It mentioned one incident where a 15-year-old boy died while "subway surfing," which involves riding on top or between cars or hanging from the sides of moving trains. The lawsuit noted that the victim's mother found TikTok videos of subway surfing on the boy's phone.
The suit also mentioned the "Kia Challenge," where teens are taught and encouraged to steal Kia and Hyundai vehicles.
Tiktok's Response
In response to the lawsuit, TikTok said it is disappointed with the filings and said many of the claims outlined by the attorney generals were "inaccurate and misleading." It also noted that the new lawsuit comes after the company has been working with the attorney generals for two years to address the said issues.
The lawsuit aims to bar TikTok from using the addictive features, impose financial penalties for illegal practices, and also collect damages for users harmed by the platform.
