Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announcing today that his office is planning to sue TikTok.
The video sharing social media app is beyond popular. Now some say it's dangerous.
"Just like big tobacco designs its products to addict, TikTok is working to create TikTok addicts," said Ellison announcing the suit on Tuesday.
Ellison and nearly two dozen other attorneys general have been investigating and suing the platform since 2022, alleging that TikTok is violating state consumer protection laws with features designed to be harmful and addictive to minors.
Sean Padden is a middle school health teacher who sees firsthand the impact TikTok has on his students.
"A decrease in student attention span due to instant quick hit gratification of reels, leading to the inability for the student to stay focused for an entire class period," says Padden. "Attempting dangerous and oftentimes harmful challenges resulting in damage to property and even student hospitalization."
The complaint, filed in Hennepin County District Court, alleges that TikTok ensnares young users in cycles of excessive use through app design features that prey on young people’s neurodevelopmental vulnerabilities.
"Studies show that compulsive use of apps like TikTok leads to increased irritability and anxiety, and higher risk of suicidal behaviors," Ellison explained. "Research tells us that prolonged TikTok use specifically can lead to disrupted sleep, reduce physical activity, body dissatisfaction, disordered eating, low self-esteem and self-harm."
Ellison says that even sleep is a concern, as TikTok users are frequently found to be using it at all hours.
"TikTok's own data show, on average, these young people spend almost two hours a day on the app," Ellison said Tuesday. "More than 20% use the app in the middle of the night when kids are supposed to be sleeping."
The filing details the company’s strategic decision to squeeze time, attention, data, and even money out of young users by maximizing their time spent on TikTok.
"Never forget this is about money," says Minnesota's Attorney General. "It is about money. That is what is going on here and they're doing it at the expense of our kid's emotional, behavioral and physical health."
Ellison adds the goal is not to shut TikTok down, just simply to "clean up their act," arguing the social media platform is designed to keep young people’s attention for long periods of time, comparing it tactics used by tobacco companies and strip clubs.
Meanwhile, there is still a continued effort by the Trump Administration to find a buyer for TikTok based in the U.S. in order to avoid a government-mandated ban of the Chinese social media company.