US States Launch Legal Action Against TikTok Over Teen Harm

TikTok’s facing yet another legal challenge in the U.S., this time over allegations that it’s harming childrens’ mental health through its algorithmic systems and process.

As per The Guardian, today, more than a dozen states, as well as the District of Columbia, have filed new lawsuits against the app, suggesting that the very design of TikTok is intended to addict youngsters.

As per The Guardian:

“The lawsuits stem from a national investigation into TikTok, which was launched in March 2022 by a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general from several states, including California, Kentucky and New Jersey. All of the complaints were filed in state courts and claim that TikTok’s algorithm is especially dangerous given the platform’s widespread use among young people and its ability to deliver quick hits of dopamine. Design choices such as infinite scrolling, push notifications and in-app purchases prey on youth and create addictive habits among users, prosecutors allege.”

Which has always been a concern, that TikTok, which is based on algorithmic matching, more so than your social graph (as per traditional social apps), hooks into your interests, whatever they may be, and aims to keep you scrolling, based on an unknown range of entity matching processes.

Which is potentially problematic for all users, but this new complaint takes aim at youngsters specifically, which the respective attorneys general believe are being more severely impacted by TikTok systems.

The District of Columbia’s complaint goes even further, accusing TikTok of operating a “virtual strip club”, based on its use of TikTok Coins to pay creators.

The main focus is actually pretty similar to the case brought against Meta back in 2023, which saw a coalition of 42 attorneys general launching legal action against the company, accusing it of utilizing “addictive processes” to hook young users on their apps.

The state of Utah has also filed legal action against TikTok, based on the app’s use of algorithmic sorting, while Arkansas has also previously launched legal proceedings against both TikTok and Facebook over mental health impacts and privacy concerns.

So basically, cases like this are being filed pretty regularly, with some resulting in fines or settlements, but most leading to broader escalation, and calls for more action from Congress.

Indeed, just last month, a coalition of over 40 state attorneys general called on Congress to implement safety labels on social media platforms, including warnings of their potential risks to children.

Yet, in general, Congress has been slow to act on such cases, due to political disagreement, lack of legal specifications in each case, and/or failure to secure majority support.

So will this one be any different?

TikTok, of course, is also facing a full ban in the U.S., due to concerns around its potential links with the Chinese government. TikTok is in the process of appealing the bill, which has been approved by the U.S. Senate, and President Joe Biden, but it does seem like that will go ahead.

Unless Trump is re-elected next month. The former president has vowed to “save TikTok” if he’s returned to office, which could be TikTok’s big hope for remaining in the U.S.

And if that happens, then maybe this new case will lead to more challenges for the app, but it seems likely that this will be delayed till the app’s fate is known before further actions are taken.