In this 2020 photo illustration, the TikTok app is displayed on an Apple iPhone. (Photo Illustration by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
A bipartisan group of state attorneys general are suing TikTok Inc., mirroring a complaint filed by Utah last year that accuses the company of exploiting its young users while deceiving the public on the dangers of social media.
Utah filed a lawsuit against the social media company in October 2023 accusing TikTok of using addictive features to bait children into spending more time on the app. Then in June, the state filed another lawsuit calling TikTok’s live feature a “virtual strip club” that targets minors.
TikTok LIVE, introduced in 2019, includes a monetization feature, where viewers can exchange virtual currency and gifts that can later be cashed in for real money. Utah’s complaint argues the feature can incentivize minors to conduct sexually explicit acts, with TikTok taking a “significant cut” from the transactions.
Now, 13 other states and Washington D.C. are following suit, filling separate complaints on Tuesday that levy similar accusations against TikTok — they include New York, California, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Vermont and Washington.
In an 81-page complaint, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the company “cultivates social media addiction to boost corporate profits.” In another complaint, Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson said features like autoplay, endless scrolling, TikTok LIVE and push notifications manipulate young people into compulsive use. Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman called the platform an “addiction machine” that perpetuates unrealistic beauty standards, bullying and low self-esteem. And in Mississippi, Attorney General Lynn Fitch said the company feeds children “increasingly extreme and disturbing videos,” keeping them hooked, while falsely assuring parents the app is safe.
Each lawsuit was filed separately in state courts, but they all have similar themes, accusing TikTok of violating state consumer protection laws and worsening teen mental health.
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Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes called the news a win for American children and families. Since the state filed its initial lawsuit, Reyes said the company has continued to show a “blatant disregard for child safety.”
“Utah applauds over a dozen states for filing suits in their respective courts. We look forward to pursuing a unified mission to hold TikTok accountable until it prioritizes our youth over market share or profit margins,” Reyes said in a statement on Wednesday.
Much of Utah’s second complaint surrounding TikTok LIVE has been redacted, shielding the company’s earnings from LIVE, TikTok’s own internal findings regarding mental health impacts on minors, the number of TikTok users in Utah, TikTok’s ad revenue and more. The redactions make it difficult to determine the true presence of the app in Utah and its impacts on teens.
On Thursday, a hearing held in Utah’s 3rd District Court in Salt Lake County will determine whether that redacted information should be made public.
In a statement to Utah News Dispatch, a TikTok spokesperson said the company “strongly disagrees” with the claims in the recent lawsuits, calling them “inaccurate” and “misleading.”
The statement pointed to a number of safety features — the company removes suspected underage users and has default features like screentime limits, family pairing with accounts, and enhanced privacy for minors under 16 years old.
“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,” the spokesman said. “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 industry wide challenges.”
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