TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Julia Wilburn on Nov 5, 2024

In October, 13 states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit against TikTok — the culmination of a two-year investigation into the social media company — which alleges the social media platform was designed with the express intention of addicting young people to the app. The suit argues the multi-billion-dollar company deceived the public about the risks. According to NPR, internal TikTok communications, now public, allegedly show a company unconcerned with the harms the app poses for American teenagers, despite the company's own research validating many child safety concerns. The documents reveal, among other things, that TikTok implemented a time-limit tool aimed at "improving public trust" rather than actually limiting time spent on the app; that content moderation features are missing content around self-harm and eating disorder videos; and that the company changed its algorithm to prioritize users it viewed as beautiful. The Associated Press reported on the original lawsuit.