On October 8, 13 American states and the District of Columbia filed lawsuits against TikTok, accusing it of harming and failing to protect young children.
The Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok is currently facing an accusation for the use of addictive software to keep children on the screen while failing to effectively moderate the platform’s content.
The lawsuit from 13 U.S. states and the District of Columbia has expanded the conflict further, and now the U.S. regulator is seeking to financially punish the company for the accusation.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta stated that TikTok exploited the social media addiction to increase its profit, while also targeting children who lack the necessary development to shield themself from the predatory tactic employed by the company.
TikTok is maximizing its user’s time spent on the platform and targeting them with advertisements. While its addictive social media platform causes many young people’s mental health to deteriorate.
TikTok denied all the claims, calling them “inaccurate” and “misleading” while expressing disappointment at the state’s unwillingness to work with TikTok in seeking a more “constructive” solution. TikTok also insists that it has provided many safety features like a screentime limit and default privacy mode for minors under 16.
At the same time, Brian Schwalb the Attorney General from Washington D.C.suspects that TikTok’s live streaming services and virtual currency are operating without licenses, while also emphasizing the platform’s predatory and dangerous tactic toward youngsters.
Washington also accused TikTok of promoting sexual exploitation of underage users through its live streaming service and virtual currency, calling it a “Virtual Strip Club” with no age restriction.
