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On October 10 (local time), Utah became the latest US state, after Arkansas and Indiana, to file a lawsuit against TikTok, accusing the app platform of harming children's mental health.
The lawsuit filed in state court said the music video and social media platform TikTok leverages “powerful algorithms and manipulative design features — many of which mimic the features of slot machines.” The result of these manipulative tactics is to get young consumers addicted.
Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes said TikTok is lying about the safety of its app and exploiting children to watch it compulsively, despite the horrific impacts it has on children’s mental health, physical development, family and social lives. The state’s investigation is ongoing.
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Mr. Sean Reyes (left) - Attorney General of Utah and Mr. Spencer Cox - Governor of Utah at a press conference announcing the lawsuit against the TikTok platform. Photo: AP |
Utah authorities are targeting music video and social media platform TikTok for allegedly luring children into spending hours on the social network, being dishonest about the app's safety, and lying about its independence from its Chinese parent company ByteDance, according to the AP.
At a press conference announcing the lawsuit in Salt Lake City, Utah Governor Spencer Cox said he would “not stand idly by while companies fail to take meaningful and adequate action to protect our children” and that “social media companies must be held accountable by any means necessary.”
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| Attorney General Sean Reyes said the state's investigation is ongoing and he will ask a court next week to compel TikTok to comply with the subpoena. Photo: Standard Examiner |
In December 2022, Governor Cox banned TikTok from state government offices over security concerns about the app. Other US states, including Texas, South Dakota and Maryland, have also restricted the use of the social media app on public devices.
This time, Utah has joined the states of Arkansas and Indiana in similar lawsuits against TikTok.
Utah is seeking civil penalties as well as an injunction against TikTok for violating state laws meant to protect consumers from deceptive business practices, Reuters reported.
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