NEW ORLEANS — Attorneys General from California, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia have filed lawsuits alleging the app has violated consumer protection law, is designed to be addictive, and exposes children to inappropriate content.
One example cited in the Louisiana lawsuit is that users who register on TikTok at just 13 years old can easily find content about alcohol, provocative dancing, music with explicit lyrics, and videos about eating disorders.
Attorney General Liz Murrill says she filed the suit to protect kids.
“There’s an algorithm, there’s an app that is beloved by a lot of people," she told WWL Louisiana Tuesday.
"We just want to make sure that if they’re going to interact with children, they’re doing it with the appropriate kind of content. And right now what we’ve seen is that it sends illegal content to children."
“The neurobiology that’s at work behind these algorithms and these apps is designed to grab you, grab you immediately, and keep you engaged," Murrill said. "And that’s how they make money."
A spokesperson for TikTok told CBS News that the company has tried to work with Attorneys General for two years, and are disappointed they filed lawsuits instead of working for solutions.
A statement from TikTok read in part, "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.”
You’ll remember, back in April, Congress gave TikTok a Jan. 19 deadline to sell to a non-Chinese owner or face a ban in the U.S.
The case is now tied up in a federal court and judges could make a ruling by December. If appealed, the case could go to the Supreme Court.
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