The state of Utah filed a lawsuit against the social media giant TikTok on Tuesday, claiming that the company is “baiting” children and teens into harmful social media habits.
The lawsuit was filed in state court in Salt Lake City. It claims that the social media platform, which rose to prominence in 2019, is luring young adults and children with its “highly powerful algorithms and manipulative design features.”
The suit says this results in young users forming addictive and unhealthy habits. Because of this, Utah says the company is misrepresenting the app’s safety.
Utah is also alleging that TikTok deceptively portrays itself as independent of ByteDance, its Chinese parent company.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox held a press conference on Tuesday, saying that it was his “top priority” to protect children in the state.
“We’re tired of TikTok lying to Utah parents,” Cox said. “We’re tired of our kids losing their innocence and even their lives addicted to the dark side of social media.”
The lawsuit is the latest shot at the social media platform by lawmakers, who have continuously pushed back against TikTok’s dominance, citing concerns of foreign manipulation.
In Utah’s push, state officials have cited public health concerns and research that shows the impact of social media on the mental health of children. The impacts include depression, anxiety, higher levels of developmental sensitivity, and disruptions to neurological development.
Through the suit, Utah is trying to stop TikTok’s alleged illegal business practices, which state officials claim violate the state’s consumer protection laws, and change the company’s “destructive behavior,” Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes at the press conference.
“TikTok designed and employs algorithm features that spoon-feed kids endless, highly curated content from which our children struggle to disengage. TikTok designed these features to mimic a cruel slot machine that hooks kids’ attention and does not let them go,” Reyes said at the news conference.
The suit is also asking the court to impose fines and penalties to fund education efforts and deter social media companies from committing similar violations in the future.
TikTok has responded to the lawsuit, as spokesperson Alex Haurek told USA Today that the company is working to keep users safe when using the platform.
“TikTok has industry-leading safeguards for young people, including an automatic 60-minute time limit for users under 18 and parental controls for teen accounts,” Haurek said. “We will continue to work to keep our community safe by tackling industry-wide challenges.”