TikTok is facing lawsuits from 14 states in the US. The allegations range from data protection violations to the risk of addiction for young people.
TikTok is once again at the center of a debate in the United States, according to the first information from NextG.tv. Over 14 US states have now filed lawsuits against the Chinese short video platform, and the list of allegations is long: data protection violations, the risk of addiction and even the targeted exploitation of young people, for which the platform had founded a “TikTok Youth Council” in the past as a countermeasure . TikTok has been viewed with suspicion in the USA for years, and there are loud calls for the app to be banned. Now they apparently want to take legal action to take action against the platform’s practices.
Accusation: Promoting dependency among young people
At the center of the lawsuits is the accusation that TikTok is designed to promote addiction, especially among children and young people. The platform uses functions such as autoplay and constant notifications to retain young users for as long as possible. The popular “TikTok Challenges” also attract criticism: These often dangerous tests of courage, which are spread by other users on the platform, are intended to increase the danger for young people. Although the challenges are created by users and not directly by TikTok, the plaintiffs accuse the platform of consciously accepting the risk to the mental and physical health of the young generation.
Data misuse and lack of protection of minors
Another central point of the lawsuits is possible data protection violations. The platform is suspected of collecting data from children and young peoplewithout obtaining the necessary consents. The United States Department of Justice has repeatedly asked TikTok to delete such stored data – a request that the platform has not yet complied with, according to the lawsuits. The plaintiffs are therefore demanding high damages and are also demanding strict financial penalties for the operator ByteDance.
Platform for sexual exploitation?
Particularly serious allegations concern the protection of children and young people from sexual exploitation. The lawsuits accuse TikTok of using its live streaming feature to create a space in which young users could be incentivized to engage in questionable behavior. Even if live streams are officially only accessible to adults, children and young people can still access them by providing false age information and be rewarded with virtual currencies. Critics see this as a risk of misuse because the platform does not offer sufficient protection mechanisms to protect young users.
TikTok denies allegations
TikTok itself firmly rejects the allegations and calls them “false and misleading” claims. The group emphasizes that it has implemented numerous youth protection measures and is trying to make the use of the platform safer for young people. Despite TikTok’s defense, the pressure on the parent company ByteDance from China is increasing: by January 17, 2024, TikTok should either be sold to a non-Chinese owner or blocked in the USA, as recent demands from US politics suggest . However, in the past ByteDance emphasized It would be better to shut down TikTok in the USA than sell it.
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