Arizona has filed a lawsuit against TikTok and its parent company ByteDance, alleging the social media platform was designed to addict children and teenagers while hiding the harms to their mental health.
According to Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, the complaint accuses TikTok of using infinite scrolling, auto-play, push notifications, and appearance-altering filters to keep minors engaged on the app for data monetization purposes.
Allegations in the Lawsuit
The lawsuit claims TikTok downplayed or failed to disclose risks associated with using the platform, including depression, anxiety, disordered eating, and self-harm. The state also alleges that TikTok knowingly allows children under 13 on the app despite publicly stating it restricts access to that age group.
The complaint further alleges that TikTok's recommendation algorithms expose minors to increasingly extreme, harmful, or age-inappropriate content, and that the company's content moderation practices are inadequate to block dangerous material.
The lawsuit also contends that TikTok's 60-minute daily screen time limit for teen users was implemented despite the company knowing it would not significantly reduce usage.
TikTok's Response
A TikTok spokesperson denied the allegations, stating that the lawsuit relies on misleading and inaccurate claims. The company said it has voluntarily implemented concrete safety measures to support user well-being and indicated it will vigorously defend against the claims.
