Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
A slew of attorneys general across the country announced on Tuesday they are suing TikTok for allegedly using addictive features on young people to make ad money.
Why it matters: 170 million people in the U.S. use TikTok, many of them teens.
State of play: 14 attorneys general led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta and New York Attorney General Letitia James filed separate lawsuits for violations against consumer protection laws.
- The AGs list manipulative features including beauty filters, endless scroll, push notifications, and likes and comments that TikTok "deceptively" claims are safe for young people.
- The AGs also claim TikTok knows users are younger than 13 and still collects and uses their data without parental consent.
What they're saying: "In New York and across the country, young people have died or gotten injured doing dangerous TikTok challenges and many more are feeling more sad, anxious, and depressed because of TikTok's addictive features," James said in a press release.
- TikTok spokesperson Alex Haurek said in a statement, "We strongly disagree with these claims, many of which we believe to be inaccurate and misleading."
The big picture: Social media companies are facing pressure to better protect kids online at the state and federal levels.
- TikTok is also facing a potential ban by mid-January in the U.S. over national security concerns, with a three-judge panel set to soon decide whether Congress' sale-or-ban law is constitutional.
