Minnesota has become the latest US state to file a lawsuit against TikTok for targeting young people with “addictive algorithms”.
Minnesota is the latest US state to launch legal action against TikTok.
The state alleges that the social media behemoth targets young people with “addictive algorithms” that trap them into consuming short videos.
The lawsuit, which has been filed in state court, accuses TikTok of violating Minnesota’s laws against deceptive trade practices and consumer fraud.
Attorney General Keith Ellison said: “This isn’t about free speech. I’m sure they’re gonna holler that. It’s actually about deception, manipulation, misrepresentation.
“This is about a company knowing the dangers, and the dangerous effects of its product, but making and taking no steps to mitigate those harms or inform users of the risks.”
Minnesota’s legal challenge follow a slew of lawsuits filed by over a dozen states last year, alleging that the short-form video app is designed to be addictive for children and harms their mental health.
According to Ellison’s office, the number of states pursuing action against TikTok now stands at 24.
Many of the lawsuits were filed last year but Ellison revealed that Minnesota waited to file its complaint as it conducted its own investigation.
TikTok has issued a response disputing the allegations.
Company spokesperson Nathaniel Brown said: “This lawsuit is based on misleading and inaccurate claims that fail to recognise the robust safety measures TikTok has voluntarily implemented to support the well-being of our community.
“Teen accounts on TikTok come with 50+ features and settings designed to help young people safely express themselves, discover and learn.
“Through our Family Pairing tool, parents can view or customise 20+ content and privacy settings, including screen time, content filters, and our time away feature to pause a teen’s access to our app.”
Minnesota is looking for a declaration that TikTok’s practices are deceptive, unfair or unconscionable under state law, a permanent injunction against those practices and up to $25,000 for each instance where a child in the state has accessed TikTok.
Ellison did not name a total amount but says that the figure is “a lot”.
He said: “We’re not trying to shut them down, but we are insisting that they clean up their act.
“There are legitimate uses of products like TikTok. But like all things, they have to be used properly and safely.”
Minnesota becomes latest US state to take legal action against TikTok
