Liam Walsh
Liam is a Co-Director at Intelligency and heads up the agency's Digital Intelligence & Paid Social activity. Over the last decade, he has worked with brands from the world of sports such as Premier League clubs to entertainment such as Channel 4 and Disney.
TikTok, a popular social media app for sharing short videos, is being sued by 13 US states. These states claim that TikTok is harming young people’s mental health and not doing enough to protect children. The lawsuit argues that the app is designed to be addictive, keeping young users hooked, which could hurt their development.
What are the complaints against TikTok?
The states involved in the lawsuit accuse TikTok of contributing to serious mental health issues among young people, such as depression, anxiety, and problems with body image. Some even say that dangerous behaviour has been encouraged because of the content shown on the platform. New York’s Attorney General, Letitia James, said that young people are struggling with their mental health due to addictive social media platforms like TikTok. Similarly, the Attorney General for Washington DC called TikTok “intentionally addictive.
How has TikTok responded?
TikTok has denied the claims, saying that the accusations are “inaccurate and misleading.” The company says it has features in place to protect young users, like setting default time limits for screen use and ensuring more privacy for users under 16. TikTok also says it doesn’t allow children under 13 to use the app, and certain content is restricted for users under 18.
TikTok is disappointed that the states chose to sue instead of working with the company to find solutions. A spokesperson for the company, Alex Haurek, said they had been trying to work with the states for over two years but were upset that legal action was taken instead of cooperation.
Could things get worse for TikTok?
TikTok is facing bigger problems beyond this lawsuit. The app is under investigation in the US, and there is a possibility it could be banned across the country unless its parent company, Bytedance, which is based in China, sells it. This legal battle could even go all the way to the US Supreme Court.
