Business
Illinois Among 14 States Suing TikTok Alleging Social Media App Targets Kids With Addictive Features
The TikTok app logo appears in Tokyo on Sept. 28, 2020. (AP Photo / Kiichiro Sato, File)
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and top prosecutors from more than a dozen other states filed a lawsuit against social media app TikTok alleging the platform has deceived the public about the dangers it presents to children and teens.
Thirteen states in all brought lawsuits against the video app Tuesday claiming TikTok includes design features that they say make children addicted to the platform, such as the ability to scroll endlessly through content, push notifications that come with built-in “buzzes” and face filters that create unattainable appearances for users.
Raoul on Tuesday said American kids are in the “grip of a devastating mental health crisis” that’s compounded by social media sites like TikTok, which he claimed runs a business model that seeks to capture as much user time and attention as possible in ways that take advantage of them.
“The addictive features on TikTok’s social media platform interfere with sleep and education, and contribute to depression, anxiety, body dysmorphia and thoughts of self-harm,” Raoul said in a statement. “In Illinois, we will always put our children and young people first. I am committed to holding TikTok and any other social media companies accountable for putting profits ahead of our children’s safety and well-being.”
Raoul claimed TikTok uses addictive design features that exploit young users’ psychological vulnerabilities to keep them on the app longer and longer.
TikTok does this despite knowing that these behaviors will lead to “profound psychological and physiological harms,” such as anxiety, depression, body dysmorphia and other long-lasting problems, another complaint filed by the District of Columbia said.
According to Raoul’s office, the use of TikTok is pervasive among young people in the United States. His office claimed that in 2023, 63% of all Americans ages 13 to 17 who responded to a Pew Research survey reported using TikTok, and most teenagers in the U.S. used TikTok daily.
Raoul also claimed TikTok has falsely marketed itself as promoting young users’ safety, but it actually prioritizes its own “pursuit of profits over young users’ safety and well-being.”
“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 our product," TikTok spokesman Alex Haurek told the Associated Press in response to the lawsuits. “We’ve endeavored to work with the Attorneys General for over two years, and it is incredibly disappointing they have taken this step rather than work with us on constructive solutions to industrywide challenges.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
