Pennsylvania sues TikTok for not protecting children from adult content

Attorney General Dave Sunday announced a lawsuit on Tuesday against TikTok that accused the company of exposing children to adult content and addictive algorithms. In his complaint, Sunday said he sought honesty from the social media giant in how its platform appears in app stores, demanding the company ensure child users are protected from app addiction.

Sunday charged the company with basing its empire on a model of addiction and expanding that empire at all costs, using deception about what kind of content is viewable for children. The lawsuit was not an indictment against modern technology or social media as a whole, but rather an action to hold the company accountable for putting dollars over mental wellness, he said.

The complaint accused TikTok of misleading the public about the amount of adult-themed content, including drug use and sexual content, that appeared on its platform so that it could earn an age-13+ rating in App Stores. The complaint claimed TikTok used unfair, deceptive, and illegal acts that harmed Pennsylvania residents. The state’s children and teens faced a crisis, as TikTok built its popular platform on the back of deception to profit off of minors using it, the complaint continued.

WORLD reached out to TikTok for a comment on the lawsuit. A spokesperson for the company called the suit reliant upon misleading and inaccurate claims that ignored the concrete safety measures TikTok has voluntarily implemented to support the well-being of its community. The company would vigorously defend against the lawsuit’s claims, the statement added.