TikTok’s algorithms hit the spotlight as New York Attorney General Letitia James and 14 other states launched a lawsuit against the social-media company Tuesday. According to the coalition, TikTok’s addictive capabilities are fueling an epidemic of child mental health and even death through viral death threats.
According to the lawsuit, TikTok, owned by China-based ByteDance, intentionally structured the platform to encourage engagement at the expense of a user’s mental and physical health, including children. The coalition is trying to prevent “abusive” practices, and is asking for compensation such as restitution of profits from suspected scams.
“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,” Attorney General James stated in an official announcement. “Kids and families across the country are desperate for help to address this crisis, and we are doing everything in our power to protect them.”
Serious Social Media Mishaps & Behavioral Impact.
The lawsuit is a case study of life-threatening social media puzzles, now popularized on TikTok. Over the past several years, adolescents have performed dangerous activities, sometimes with disastrous results. The complaint cites numerous high-profile cases such as the 2023 subway surfing death in New York and the recent Kia thefts, linked to TikTok videos advocating dangerous behavior.
This kind of struggle, the lawsuit claimed, isn’t rare but part of TikTok’s content strategy. Videos that encourage risky behavior are enhanced through the platform’s design – they attract massive amounts of traffic and virality. This has resulted in a number of teens injuring or killing themselves as a means of getting followers, likes and comments, the complaint claims.
TikTok’s Confession to Youth Mental Health Crisis?
In addition to physical injuries, the suit also claims TikTok causes or contributes towards the development of mental health disorders in children. The algorithm in TikTok is engineered to engross the audience, especially children, by taking advantage of FOMO and creating dopamine feedback loops, the filing said. Endless scroll, Video autoplay, and Select algorithmic feeds customized — young users can’t stop using this app.
The lawsuit also asserts that TikTok has led to issues such as depression, anxiety, body image problems and even suicidal ideation. These problems are exacerbated by the app’s “beauty filters,” which allegedly encourage destructive beauty ideals and drive disorders like body dysmorphia and eating disorders. According to the lawsuit, TikTok’s deliberate design choices have created a generation of young users who use the app excessively long and disrupt their development.
Data Breach Privacy and Teen Targeting
The group of attorneys general also accuses TikTok of data privacy violations, in particular when it uses underage users’ data. Though the platform claims to have a safeguard in place for children under 13 years of age, the lawsuit claims that internal documents suggest that TikTok specifically aims to serve those under 13, as they consider it a major market for their business model.
The lawsuit alleges that TikTok has massive revenue from minors, according to studies that indicate 35% of app ad revenues is generated by children. TikTok’s $16 billion of U.S. revenue in 2023 only makes more questions about if it really is financially rewarding children to play the app.
A Local Organizing Group Against TikTok
The suit, authored by New York Attorney General Letitia James and California Attorney General Rob Bonta, encompasses 13 other states and the District of Columbia. The groups are aligned in suing for damages from TikTok’s abuse of youth and are calling for new regulations to help stem the site’s suspected use of teens.
TikTok has also long been under fire for moderation, data privacy and its pull on younger generations. ByteDance is likely to dispute the claims, and will be fighting a US bill to block the app nationwide. The company has said it’s put in place measures to safeguard younger users and limit their time on the platform, but critics say it’s not enough.
The lawsuit is the latest in a series of efforts by social media giants and regulators to try to curb the impact of technology on mental health and public safety, particularly for children.
To learn more about the lawsuits, please go to ABC News and NBC News.
