Current:Home > MyNebraska sues TikTok for allegedly targeting minors with "addictive design" and "fueling a youth mental health crisis"-LoTradeCoin
Nebraska sues TikTok for allegedly targeting minors with "addictive design" and "fueling a youth mental health crisis"
View Date:2024-12-23 21:02:49
Nebraska is suing social media giant TikTok and its parent company ByteDance, claiming the platform targets minors with "addictive design" and is "fueling a youth mental health crisis."
"TikTok has shown no regard for the wreckage its exploitative algorithm is leaving behind," Attorney General Mike Hilgers said in a statement.
The lawsuit, filed in state court Wednesday, claims the platform engages in "deceptive and unfair trade practices" by claiming it is "family-friendly" and "safe for young users."
The lawsuit alleges TikTok does not adhere to its own Community Guidelines, which states the platform does not allow "content that may put young people at risk." The platform has also spent millions on advertising stating it's suitable for young people, the complaint alleges, and representatives of TikTok have testified repeatedly the company monitors for harmful content and removes content that risks harm to minors or otherwise violates the Community Guidelines.
But the lawsuit alleges the opposite is true and that teens and children are shown inappropriate content based on the platform's algorithm and "addictive design."
As part of its investigation, Nebraska created TikTok accounts for fictitious minor users registered as 13, 15, and 17 years old, the lawsuit said. Within minutes, the lawsuit claims, the teen users were directed to inappropriate content by the TikTok algorithm, including videos described in graphic detail in the lawsuit as simulating sexual acts and encouraging eating disorders.
Much of the content pushed to minors is encouraged by the "For You" feed, the lawsuit claims, which shows users the alleged inappropriate content without them searching for similar videos. Instead, the video just pops into minors' feeds uninvited, the lawsuit claims.
Hilgers said kids are shown "inappropriate content, ranging from videos that encourage suicidal ideation and fuel depression, drive body image issues, and encourage eating disorders to those that encourage drug use and sexual content wildly inappropriate for young kids."
These interactions have fueled "a youth mental health crisis in Nebraska," the lawsuit said.
TikTok refutes the allegations.
"TikTok has industry-leading safeguards to support teens' well-being, including age-restricted features, parental controls, an automatic 60-minute time limit for people under 18, and more. We will continue working to address these industry-wide concerns," a company spokesperson told CBS News in a statement.
Nebraska's lawsuit comes as TikTok battles the U.S. government over recent legislation requiring the platform to cut ties with its China-based owner within a year or be effectively banned from the United States.
TikTok said in a lawsuit filed earlier this month that banning the popular social media platform would violate the First Amendment rights of its users. Eight TikToker users — with millions of followers between them — filed a similar suit against the federal government last week.
More than 30 states and the federal government have banned the app on state- or government-issued devices. Montana became the first state to ban the app last May, a few months later a federal judge overturned the ruling, in part because the ban "infringes on the Constitutional rights of users and businesses."
— Melissa Quinn and C. Mandler contributed reporting.
- In:
- Nebraska
- TikTok
- ByteDance
Cara Tabachnick is a news editor at CBSNews.com. Cara began her career on the crime beat at Newsday. She has written for Marie Claire, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. She reports on justice and human rights issues. Contact her at [email protected]
veryGood! (4)
Related
- Conviction and 7-year sentence for Alex Murdaugh’s banker overturned in appeal of juror’s dismissal
- Full transcript of Face the Nation, Nov. 19, 2023
- Final inmate of 4 men who escaped Georgia jail last month is captured
- Reactions to the death of Rosalynn Carter, former first lady and global humanitarian
- Surfer Bethany Hamilton Makes Masked Singer Debut After 3-Year-Old Nephew’s Tragic Death
- Graham Mertz injury update: Florida QB suffers collarbone fracture against Missouri
- Wilson, Sutton hook up for winning TD as Broncos rally to end Vikings’ 5-game winning streak, 21-20
- Paul Azinger won't return as NBC Sports' lead golf analyst in 2024
- 'I heard it and felt it': Chemical facility explosion leaves 11 hospitalized in Louisville
- US calls Nicaragua’s decision to leave Organization of American States a ‘step away from democracy’
Ranking
- When does 'Dune: Prophecy' come out? Release date, cast, where to watch prequel series
- School district and The Satanic Temple reach agreement in lawsuit over After School Satan Club
- Reports say Russell Brand interviewed by British police over claims of sexual offenses
- Papua New Guinea volcano erupts and Japan says it’s assessing a possible tsunami risk to its islands
- Does the NFL have a special teams bias when hiring head coaches? History indicates it does
- Los Angeles freeway is fully reopened after arson fire, just in time for Monday morning’s rush hour
- French performers lead a silent Paris march for peace between Israelis and Palestinians
- Justin Fields runs for 104 yards and passes for 169 in his return. Bears lose to Lions 31-26
Recommendation
-
Why Outer Banks Fans Think Costars Rudy Pankow and Madison Bailey Used Stunt Doubles Amid Rumored Rift
-
How investigators tracked down Sarah Yarborough's killer
-
Mixed results for SpaceX's Super Heavy-Starship rocket on 2nd test flight
-
Hong Kong’s Disneyland opens 1st Frozen-themed attraction, part of a $60B global expansion
-
Tua Tagovailoa tackle: Dolphins QB laughs off taking knee to head vs. Rams on 'MNF'
-
Final inmate of 4 men who escaped Georgia jail last month is captured
-
Vogt resigns as CEO of Cruise following safety concerns over self-driving vehicles
-
3 decades after teen's murder, DNA helps ID killer with a history of crimes against women