Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced a lawsuit against TikTok Inc. and its parent company ByteDance Inc., citing concerns about the impact of the platform on the mental health of young users. The lawsuit claims that TikTok’s algorithm promotes addictive behaviors and contributes to serious mental health issues among youth, including depression, eating disorders, self-harm, and substance abuse.
TikTok is a widely used social media app that features short-form videos, allowing users to create and view content ranging from a few seconds to ten minutes. The app employs a highly personalized algorithm that curates content for users based on their viewing habits, which has sparked criticism from lawmakers in Alabama. They argue that this algorithm is intentionally designed to keep users, particularly children and teens, engaged for extended periods, raising concerns about its effects on mental well-being.
The lawsuit asserts that TikTok’s mechanisms for protecting minors are inadequate. It claims that young users can easily bypass parental controls and safeguards, leaving them vulnerable to harmful content. TikTok states on its website that it is recommended for users aged 12 and older, with specific restrictions for users under 18. For instance, accounts for users under 18 are set to private by default, and there is a daily screen time limit of 60 minutes for this age group. However, critics argue that these measures do not sufficiently protect youth from exposure to harmful material.
In addition to mental health concerns, the lawsuit also raises issues regarding data privacy. Attorney General Marshall’s filing suggests that ByteDance collects sensitive information from its users and may share this data with the Chinese government, which he claims poses a risk to national security. He alleges that TikTok’s data practices could amount to espionage, particularly involving the personal information of minors.
The lawsuit seeks civil penalties based on Alabama’s Deceptive Trade Practices Act, along with compensatory and punitive damages for the state. It also requests a court order to stop TikTok from what it describes as deceptive practices related to the safety and privacy of young users. This legal action reflects growing scrutiny of social media platforms and their responsibility for the well-being of their young audiences.
As the case unfolds, it highlights the ongoing debate about the responsibility of tech companies to safeguard the mental health of youth and manage their data securely.
