The state of Utah has initiated a legal action against the short video platform TikTok, accusing the Chinese-owned app of causing harm and “exploiting” young children by intentionally encouraging them to spend unhealthy amounts of time on the platform.
This lawsuit, filed on October 10th, is the most recent legal challenge faced by the popular app in the United States. Prior to this, both Indiana and Arkansas had already initiated lawsuits against the video-sharing platform.
Utah’s lawsuit has been lodged in a state court and alleges that TikTok utilizes videos that employ “highly powerful algorithms and manipulative design features—many of which mimic features of slot machines.” It claims that these “manipulative” tactics lead young users to become addicted.
According to a report from Reuters, Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes stated in the filing: “What these children (and their parents) do not know is that TikTok is lying to them about the safety of its app and exploiting them into checking and watching the app compulsively, regardless of the harmful effects it has on their mental health, physical development, family, and social life.”
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