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Utah recently joined the list of states taking legal action against TikTok, the popular Chinese-owned short-video sharing app. The lawsuit alleges that TikTok is intentionally engaging young users, leading them to spend unhealthy amounts of time on the platform. This lawsuit marks the latest in a series of challenges against the app in the United States, with Indiana and Arkansas also bringing similar legal actions.
In the lawsuit, Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes claims that TikTok is deceiving children and parents about the safety of the app while exploiting them, resulting in detrimental effects on their mental health, physical development, family dynamics, and social lives. The lawsuit further states that TikTok employs “highly powerful algorithms and manipulative design features” that are reminiscent of features found in slot machines, hooking young consumers and compelling them to spend excessive time on the platform.
TikTok, owned by ByteDance and boasting over 150 million users in the United States, responded to the lawsuit by asserting that it has industry-leading safeguards for young users, including a 60-minute time limit for those under 18 and parental controls for teen accounts. The state’s investigation is ongoing, and Utah will seek court intervention to compel TikTok’s compliance with investigative subpoenas.
Utah’s legal action seeks civil penalties and an injunction to prevent TikTok from violating state laws designed to protect consumers from deceptive business practices. Meanwhile, Indiana’s lawsuit against TikTok, filed in December, remains pending in state court. Arkansas has also filed a lawsuit against both TikTok and Facebook-parent company Meta in March, accusing them of promoting addictive platforms.
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The legal scrutiny of TikTok in the United States is not new. In recent years, concerns have arisen about the platform’s potential to expose children to inappropriate content, and the app’s algorithm has faced criticism for its content delivery. Additionally, Montana is currently facing a legal battle as it seeks to implement a state ban on TikTok, citing spying concerns, and federal lawmakers have been considering legislation to enable restrictions or bans on TikTok due to national security concerns.
TikTok has consistently denied allegations of spying and emphasized its significant investments in data security. As the legal battles continue, the impact of these lawsuits on the future of the app and the protection of young users remains a topic of great interest and concern
