New York,NJ lead multistate lawsuits against TikTok over youth mental health concerns
New York Attorney General Letitia James, alongside more than a dozen other state attorneys general, has filed lawsuits against TikTok.
New York Attorney General Letitia James, alongside more than a dozen other state attorneys general, has filed lawsuits against TikTok. The legal actions accuse the social media giant of falsely portraying its platform as safe for minors, despite mounting evidence to the contrary.
This initiative reflects a broader effort among officials in the New York region to hold social media companies accountable for their alleged detrimental effects on youth mental health. The lawsuits seek to impose financial penalties, including the “disgorgement of all profits resulting from the [alleged] fraudulent and illegal practices” and compensation for users purportedly harmed by the platform, according to a press release from James’ office.
“The lawsuits aim to impose financial penalties on the platform, including ‘disgorgement of all profits resulting from the [alleged] fraudulent and illegal practices’ and damages for users purportedly harmed by the platform.”
James, who co-led the coalition with California Attorney General Rob Bonta, emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, “TikTok claims that their platform is safe for young people, but that is far from true. 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.”
This legal action comes on the heels of a declaration by New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ administration, which identified social media’s impact on minors’ mental health as a “public health crisis hazard.” The city has already filed its own lawsuit against TikTok and other social media platforms, with local lawmakers enacting legislation to prevent these sites from using algorithms that encourage prolonged use among young users.
A recent report from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene found that over 78% of parents believe the government should impose restrictions on how social media companies interact with teenagers. The same report indicated a correlation between increased social media use and rising mental health issues, particularly among teenagers in low-income areas.
“As a parent and as the chief law enforcement officer for New Jersey, I’m here to tell TikTok, as I have told other social media companies in the past, that our kids are more than just data points to be monetized to advertisers to the detriment of their mental and physical health,” New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin declared.
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In response to the lawsuits, a TikTok spokesperson countered the allegations, labeling them “inaccurate and misleading.” TikTok’s Alex Haurek noted that the platform has made significant efforts to collaborate with James and other officials. “We provide robust safeguards, proactively remove suspected underage users, and have voluntarily launched safety features such as default screen time limits, family pairing, and privacy by default for minors under 16,” Haurek stated in an email.
Haurek expressed disappointment at the decision to pursue litigation instead of engaging in constructive dialogue: “It is incredibly disappointing they have taken this step rather than work with us on constructive solutions to industry-wide challenges.”
As the legal battles unfold, the spotlight remains on the critical issue of youth mental health and the responsibilities of social media platforms in safeguarding their youngest users.
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