Over a dozen US states sue TikTok for harming children by ‘addiction’

Attorneys General from 13 U.S. states — including New York and California — and the District of Columbia filed separate lawsuits against TikTok on Tuesday, accusing the social media platform of harming young users’ mental health through “addictive” design features. The complaints, which follow ongoing regulatory pressures, mark the latest chapter in TikTok’s mounting legal battles as it also faces a potential nationwide ban in the country.

What they are claiming: The suits accuse TikTok of intentionally using features that foster addiction, such as autoplay, late-night notifications and beauty filters, which allegedly contribute to negative body image and mental health issues among young users. New York Attorney Gen.l Letitia James said the company’s practices prioritize “profits over safety,” particularly targeting vulnerable youth. Meanwhile, Washington D.C. Attorney Gen. Brian Schwalb described TikTok’s livestreaming feature as operating “like a virtual strip club with no age restrictions.” The suits seek financial penalties and structural changes to the platform, with potential ramifications regardless of whether TikTok is sold or banned by its Beijing-based parent company, ByteDance.
What TikTok is saying: The latest development echoes similar legal actions against other social media giants like Meta, as states increasingly link youth mental health crises to addictive social media platforms. Despite the suits, TikTok strongly refuted the claims, calling them “inaccurate and misleading” and expressing disappointment that the states opted for litigation rather than collaborating with it for “constructive solutions.” The company also highlighted safety features such as screentime limits and privacy settings for minors under 16. “We’re proud of and remain deeply committed to the work we’ve done to protect teens and we will continue to update and improve our product. We provide robust safeguards, proactively remove suspected underage users and have voluntarily launched safety features,” TikTok spokesperson Alex Haurek said.

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