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Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Alabama sues TikTok: State AG accuses app of fueling youth mental health crisis
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced last week that the state is filing a lawsuit against TikTok Inc. and ByteDance Inc. to hold the companies accountable for a mental health crisis on the youth of Alabama. Here's what we know: TikTok is a social media app best known for short-form videos that keep users scrolling for hours. Creators can upload videos that are just a few seconds long or up to 10 minutes long. The app's secret sauce? A personalized "For You Page" powered by an innovative algorithm that serves up content based on what you like to watch. Expect plenty of singing, dancing, lip syncing and viral comedy. But that "secret sauce" is under fire as Alabama lawmakers are challenging TikTok's algorithm in their lawsuit, claiming it's designed to addict users, especially youth. Alabama's lawsuit claims TikTok's algorithm is built to keep kids hooked, pushing an endless stream of content that promotes depression, eating disorders, self-harm and drug use. The lawsuit alleges that TikTok's safeguards for minors are easy to circumvent and don't do enough to protect young users. According to TikTok's website, the platform is recommended for users ages 12 and up, with parental guidance. In the U.S., children under 13 are offered a limited, "view-only" app version. TikTok says it starts all accounts for users under 18 as private by default, though teens can switch to public settings. There's also a 60-minute daily screen time limit for users under 18. Those under 16 can't use direct messaging or go live, and their content is not shown on the app's popular "For You" page. TikTok offers a tool called "Family Pairing," which lets parents and guardians connect their accounts to their teens. The feature allows adults to set screen time limits and requires a passcode if the teen wants more time on the app. Parents can also filter out specific keywords to help control what appears on their child's "For You" feed. They can also manage comment settings, including turning off comments altogether. Another claim in the lawsuit accuses TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, of collecting sensitive data on Americans and potentially sharing it with the Chinese government. Attorney General Marshall alleges that because ByteDance is based in China, it is subject to laws requiring companies to cooperate with Chinese intelligence services. Marshall argues that TikTok and ByteDance are engaged in espionage by exploiting personal information, especially data belonging to minors. The lawsuit asks for civil penalties under Alabama's Deceptive Trade Practices Act and compensatory and punitive damages for the state. It also seeks a court order requiring TikTok to stop what the state calls deceptive practices related to youth safety. A copy of the complaint can be viewed here. Jennifer Lindahl is a Breaking and Trending Reporter for the Deep South Connect Team for Gannett/USA Today. Connect with her on X @jenn_lindahl and email at jlindahl@ This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: TikTok algorithm under fire as state AG cites 'mental health crisis'
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Yahoo
Alabama Attorney General announces lawsuit against TikTok, ByteDance Inc.
ALABAMA (WHNT) — Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced Tuesday that the State has filed a lawsuit against TikTok and ByteDance Inc. The lawsuit claims the platform is exploiting children, addicting them to harmful content and lying about the safety of its platform. The lawsuit, filed in Montgomery County Circuit Court, seeks to hold TikTok accountable for fueling a mental health crisis among Alabama's youth. 'Today, we join concerned parents across our state to stand up for Alabama's children. TikTok preys on young people, feeding them dangerous and damaging content while lying to parents about how safe the app really is. This platform was designed to addict kids and put profits ahead of the mental health of an entire generation,' Attorney General Marshall said. 'TikTok's so-called 'safety features' are a joke. They are nothing more than a marketing ploy to trick parents into trusting a product that TikTok knows full well is dangerous. Alabama families deserve the truth, and we will make sure they get it.' The lawsuit explains that the app's algorithm is engineered to keep children in a mindless scroll and exposes them to content that promotes 'depression, eating disorders, self-harm, and drug use, as well as dangerous viral 'challenges.'' Attorney General Marshall said the lawsuit says TikTok's safety measures, such as 'Kids Mode' and 'Restricted Mode,' are ineffective and easily bypassed, leaving children vulnerable to exploitation and harm, while TikTok does little to block inappropriate adult material. 'Over one-third of its daily users in the United States are fourteen or younger. TikTok's capture of the American youth market is no accident but is instead the result of a carefully executed campaign,' Attorney General Marshall said. The release says the lawsuit identifies TikTok as being ultimately owned and operated by ByteDance, a Chinese corporation, which, since the app's inception, has focused 'on gathering as much data on users as possible.' The lawsuit seeks civil penalties under Alabama's Deceptive Trade Practices Act, as well as compensatory and punitive damages to the State, and injunctive relief to ensure that the company's misleading practices about youth safety are discontinued. You can read the full complaint filed by the State below: tiktok-complaintDownload Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
