TikTok knows its app is harmful to teenagers, lawsuits say
More than a dozen U.S. states filed lawsuits against the social media platform alleging harm to young people
TikTok , the wildly popular video-sharing platform, is facing a barrage of lawsuits from over a dozen states and the District of Columbia, alleging the app is intentionally designed to be addictive and harmful to young users. Internal communications, revealed in court documents, shed light on the company's alleged knowledge of the app's potential negative impact.
Kentucky's lawsuit, in particular, provides disturbing insight into TikTok 's practices. According to redacted documents obtained by Louisville Public Media, the company acknowledges that its "screen time" feature, ostensibly designed to limit usage, has "negligible impact" on users' time spent on the app. Moreover, TikTok 's success metric for this feature was not actual time reduction but rather "improving public trust in the TikTok platform via media coverage," a blatant indication of prioritizing image over user well-being.
Further evidence suggests TikTok is aware of the potential harm caused by its beauty filters, with internal documents acknowledging their contribution to a "narrow beauty norm" that can negatively impact users' mental health.
In response to these allegations, a TikTok spokesperson dismissed the claims as "misleading" and "out of context," emphasizing the company's "robust safeguards" and "voluntary safety features." However, the lawsuits paint a different picture, asserting that TikTok 's algorithm, which determines what content users see on their "For You" feed, is specifically designed to keep them engaged and hooked.
New York Attorney General Letitia James , a leading figure in the coalition, underscored the gravity of the situation, stating that "young people have died or gotten injured doing dangerous TikTok challenges, and many more are feeling more sad, anxious and depressed because of TikTok ’s addictive features."
While TikTok maintains its commitment to user safety and vows to continue improving its product, the lawsuits raise serious concerns about the app's potential to negatively impact the mental and physical well-being of its younger users. The outcomes of these legal battles could have profound implications for the future of social media and its responsibility to protect vulnerable audiences.
Kentucky's lawsuit, in particular, provides disturbing insight into TikTok 's practices. According to redacted documents obtained by Louisville Public Media, the company acknowledges that its "screen time" feature, ostensibly designed to limit usage, has "negligible impact" on users' time spent on the app. Moreover, TikTok 's success metric for this feature was not actual time reduction but rather "improving public trust in the TikTok platform via media coverage," a blatant indication of prioritizing image over user well-being.
Further evidence suggests TikTok is aware of the potential harm caused by its beauty filters, with internal documents acknowledging their contribution to a "narrow beauty norm" that can negatively impact users' mental health.
In response to these allegations, a TikTok spokesperson dismissed the claims as "misleading" and "out of context," emphasizing the company's "robust safeguards" and "voluntary safety features." However, the lawsuits paint a different picture, asserting that TikTok 's algorithm, which determines what content users see on their "For You" feed, is specifically designed to keep them engaged and hooked.
New York Attorney General Letitia James , a leading figure in the coalition, underscored the gravity of the situation, stating that "young people have died or gotten injured doing dangerous TikTok challenges, and many more are feeling more sad, anxious and depressed because of TikTok ’s addictive features."
While TikTok maintains its commitment to user safety and vows to continue improving its product, the lawsuits raise serious concerns about the app's potential to negatively impact the mental and physical well-being of its younger users. The outcomes of these legal battles could have profound implications for the future of social media and its responsibility to protect vulnerable audiences.