Bipartisan Group of State Attorneys General Sue TikTok for Harming Youth

A bipartisan group of attorneys general from 13 states and the District of Columbia are suing social media platform TikTok, claiming it harms youth and is designed to be addictive.

The Details: Some of the lawsuits allege different things. The District of Columbia’s suit alleged TikTok operates a money transmission business without proper licensing through its virtual currency and live stream features. Washington state accused it of facilitating the sexual exploitation of minors, saying the same features "operate like a virtual strip club with no age restrictions."

For Context: The lawsuit is tied to a national investigation launched in March 2022. On January 1, 2025, TikTok will be banned in the U.S. unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, sells it to a new owner. Banning TikTok has been a topic of debate in recent years, with some arguing it’s a threat to national security, while others argue a ban would violate free speech rights.

TikTok’s Position: A TikTok spokesperson said, “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. We've endeavored to work with the Attorneys General for over two years, and it is incredibly disappointing they have taken this step rather than work with us on constructive solutions to industry-wide challenges.”

How the Media Covered It: Fox Business (Lean Right bias) included quotes it obtained from TikTok, while The Guardian (Lean Left bias) and Reuters (Center bias) did not include statements from TikTok or its advocates.