States' Lawsuit Against TikTok: Child Safety and Privacy Concerns

States are uniting against TikTok for allegedly exploiting children's data and promoting harmful behaviors.

### States Unite Against TikTok: Addressing Harmful Features and Child Privacy Violations
* 🤝 Multiple states have collaborated in a legal claim against TikTok, citing **harmful behaviors that negatively impact public health**, particularly among **children**.
* 📱 The lawsuit alleges that TikTok has integrated **addictive features** into its platform, such as **endless scrolling and beauty filters**, which contribute to a **public health crisis** by keeping children engaged for **extended periods**.
* 🚨 State attorneys general argue that these features can **harm children's self-esteem and mental health**, leading to **increased addiction and reliance on the app**.
* ⚖ In addition to the state lawsuits, a federal lawsuit filed in August claimed TikTok permitted children to create accounts and **collect their personal information without proper consent**.
* 🔒 TikTok has implemented certain safeguards, such as setting all accounts for users under 18 to **private** and enforcing a **60-minute screen time limit**, but these measures have been criticized as **inadequate** by the attorneys general.
* 📜 The Federal Trade Commission also sued TikTok for not complying with a 2019 settlement regarding child privacy, highlighting **ongoing concerns about the platform's practices**.
* 👶 Both the state and federal claims emphasize that TikTok's actions constitute a **violation of children's privacy rights**, particularly regarding the **exploitation of data without parental consent** for children under 13.

Just explain the basics of the action taken by these states, the mechanism by how they took it, and what the claim is. Well, the states have worked together in this claim against TikTok, as you described. Going after the company over what the state attorneys general call harmful behavior to the public. In other words, baking in harmful and addictive features into the algorithm, into the software, into this platform that children are using so that they are hooked, so that it keeps them on as repeat customers, so that they stay on the platform longer. This includes things like endless scrolling. It also includes features like beauty filters and comments and likes that can also harm children and self-esteem. All of this they are seeing as causing a public health crisis among young people, and they are taking steps to try to address it. Does not the only lawsuit, of course, there's been a barrage. There was a federal lawsuit just in August claiming TikTok allowed children

to open accounts and gathered information about them when they shouldn't have been. What's interesting is TikTok like matter like many other companies when it comes to social media and children, I mean, putting in place what they say are safeguards. You've got all accounts of teens under 18 starting out as private, they say, and a screen limit of some 60 minutes. What's interesting in this case is that the attorneys general take issue with those sorts of safety precautions, saying they're not really real. Well, that's right. And in fact, in the case that you mentioned, and I'm so glad you brought it up, Carolyn. In August, the Federal Trade Commission sued the company for failing to abide by the terms of a 2019 settlement over child privacy. In both of these cases. What the federal government and then the state attorneys general are alleging is that these measures have not been enough.

And, in fact, in the case brought by California today and the other states, they are saying that children's private data was being exploited without parental consent or notice. And that is just a fundamental, in their view, violation of that relationship with children under the age of 13.

TikTok Sued By States Over Safety

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Several states are collaborating to sue TikTok, accusing the company of harmful behavior towards young users by incorporating addictive features into its algorithm.

These features, such as endless scrolling and beauty filters, are believed to contribute to a public health crisis among children.

TikTok has implemented safety measures, like private accounts for teens and a screen time limit, but state attorneys general argue that these precautions are insufficient.

California and other states are suing, claiming that children's private data was exploited without parental consent or notice.

They argue that this practice fundamentally violates the relationship with children under the age of 13.

The case highlights the importance of protecting children's privacy rights.