TikTok to launch meditation feature as it faces slew of lawsuits alleging it's harming kids' mental health
TikTok said it is launching a meditation feature on its platform for all teen users as it faces several lawsuits accusing it of harming children's mental health with addictive features and dangerous content.
The Meditation in Sleep Hours feature will be automatically switched on for all users under 18, the ByteDance-owned social media platform said in a press release Thursday.
If a teen uses TikTok after 10 p.m., their For You feed will be interrupted by a guided meditation to help them wind down for a better night's sleep. If they continue to scroll, their feed will be interrupted by a second, full-screen prompt.
TikTok on Thursday said it is launching a meditation feature on its platform for all teen users.
REUTERS
Adult users can turn on the feature from the Screen Time settings page.
The new feature is similar to another one the video-sharing platform has been testing that interrupts teen users' feeds with calming music and a video encouraging them to take a break.
The company also said it was making a $2.3 million donation in ad credits to 31 mental health groups around the world.
The moves come amid lawsuits, as well as backlash from politicians and mental health advocates, that accuse TikTok of being intentionally addictive and for stealing minors' personal information.
In October, 14 attorneys general, led by officials in New York and California, filed lawsuits accusing the platform of damaging young users' mental health and stealing their personal information without consent.
Government officials, including former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, have warned the app contributes to high rates of depression and anxiety in US teens.
TikTok has denied the claims, saying it has safeguards in place for young users and that it has worked with the attorneys general over the years.
While TikTok says users must be at least 13 to create an account, the Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission in August filed a civil lawsuit accusing TikTok and ByteDance of collecting personal information from children under this age limit.
The teen safety features come as several lawsuits have criticized the platform's harmful impact on young users.
AP
The suit alleged the app had insufficient guidelines in place to identify and delete accounts created by children.
TikTok and ByteDance did not immediately respond to The Post's requests for comment.
President Trump has long taken aim at TikTok, which is owned by a Chinese company, over national security concerns, first attempting to ban the platform in 2020 during his first term.
The app went offline for less than 24 hours earlier this year after the Supreme Court upheld a law to ban TikTok unless ByteDance divested its stake to a US-based company.
Trump signed an executive order to revive the app, and has repeatedly delayed the ban's deadline, which has now been extended to June.
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