Latest news with #DeceptiveTradePracticesAct
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Arkansas Supreme Court decides TikTok vs. Arkansas case will go forward, denies dismissal request
Video: TikTok challenge damaging garage doors in Cabot LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Arkansas Supreme Court denied a request on behalf of the social media app TikTok to have the Arkansas lawsuit against it thrown out. The Arkansas lawsuit was filed in 2023 by Attorney General Tim Griffin. It charged TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, with violating the state's Deceptive Trade Practices Act (DTPA). Arkansas AG Tim Griffin joins 41 other AGs calling for congressional requirement for social media surgeon general warning The suit claimed that TikTok violated the DTPA by misrepresenting itself and, in turn, exposing minors to mature content and engineered its platform to compel people to remain engaged. This has gone so far as to harm young people, the suit alleged, as they responded to various and dangerous 'TikTok challenges.' The suit was filed in the Cleburne County District Court, where attorneys for TikTok requested that the suit be dismissed, arguing that Arkansas had not established jurisdiction or a claim for relief. The court rejected the argument, meaning the case proceeded, and that ruling was subsequently appealed to the Arkansas Supreme Court. CVS Pharmacy files suit against Arkansas over new law preventing PBM ownership of pharmacies On Thursday, the Supreme Court rejected the appeal, a request that the Supreme Court force the Circuit Court to rule in TikTok's favor, stating that such a ruling would be inappropriate under Arkansas precedent. Griffin was pleased with the Thursday ruling. 'Today's ruling allows our lawsuit against TikTok to move forward,' Griffin said. 'This moves us one step closer to holding TikTok accountable for deceiving Arkansans, especially children and their parents, about its app.' Arkansas filing suit against Meta, TikTok under Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act Court records indicate that the case is scheduled to be heard on Sept. 29 in a jury trial expected to last three weeks. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Democratic Senators Warn Paramount's Shari Redstone That Trump Lawsuit Settlement May Violate Federal Bribery Statute
Three senators have sent a letter to Paramount Global's Shari Redstone warning that a potential settlement of Donald Trump's $20 billion lawsuit against CBS may violate federal bribery laws. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) wrote that 'Paramount appears to be trying to settle a lawsuit that it has assessed as 'completely without merit,' and moderating the content of its programs in order to obtain approval of this merger. Under the federal bribery statute, it is illegal to corruptly give anything of value to public officials to influence an official act. If Paramount officials make these concessions in a quid pro quo arrangement to influence President Trump or other Administration officials, they may be breaking the law.' More from Deadline Live Video Startup 2WAY Adds Three New Shows Including 'The Group Chat' 'The Daily Show's Jon Stewart Mocks Media Praising Trump For "Not Taking Cancer's Side" In Biden Statement Kennedy Center To Include Non-Equity Theater Productions Following Donald Trump Complaints Redstone is non-executive chairwoman of Paramount Global and controlling shareholder. The senators cite 18 U.S.C. 201, which prohibits giving anything of value to a public official for the purposes of influencing their decisions. In October, Trump sued CBS over the way that 60 Minutes edited an interview with Kamala Harris. The lawsuit alleges violations of Texas' Deceptive Trade Practices Act, which is typically used by consumers for false advertising claims. A number of legal experts see Trump's lawsuit as meritless, but the litigation comes as CBS-parent Paramount Global seeks Trump administration approval for its merger with Skydance. Read the senators' letter to Shari Redstone. The senators also wrote that 'Paramount appears to have begun overseeing CBS's content, presumably in order to screen it for content that could anger the Trump Administration.' That was a reference to the resignation last month of Bill Owens, executive producer of 60 Minutes, over what he said was corporate interference. The lawmakers also noted the pending departure of Wendy McMahon, the CEO of CBS News and Stations, who announced her resignation on Monday, saying that 'it's become clear that the company and I do not agree on the path forward.' 'Paramount's scheme to curry favor with the Trump Administration has compromised journalistic independence and raises serious concerns of corruption and improper conduct,' the senators wrote. The lawmakers went on to ask Redstone to respond to a series of questions about the potential settlement, including, 'Has 60 Minutes made changes to its content at the request of anyone at Paramount to facilitate approval of the merger?' A Paramount Global spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment. The Wall Street Journal first reported on the letter. A spokesperson told the Journal that Redstone has recused herself from the settlement talks. Best of Deadline Sean 'Diddy' Combs Sex-Trafficking Trial Updates: Cassie Ventura's Testimony, $10M Hotel Settlement, Drugs, Violence, & The Feds All The 'Mission: Impossible' Movies In Order - See Tom Cruise's 30-Year Journey As Ethan Hunt Denzel Washington's Career In Pictures: From 'Carbon Copy' To 'The Equalizer 3'
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘60 Minutes' Continues Hard-Hitting Segments On Trump With Look At His Attacks On Law Firms; Guest Compares POTUS Actions To A Mob Boss
A week after calling out CBS parent Paramount Global over the show's journalistic independence, 60 Minutes on Sunday ran another hard-hitting segment on Donald Trump, this time over the president's attacks on law firms. Trump's executive orders have threatened to prohibit some of the nation's largest firms from security clearances, federal agencies and even courthouses, as the president cited their work on behalf of his perceived enemies. The orders even threatened to cancel the government contracts of the firm's clients. More from Deadline '60 Minutes' Does Segment Explaining Departure Of Executive Producer Bill Owens: 'Paramount Began To Supervise Our Content In New Ways' Trump 101: Why POTUS' Lawsuit Against CBS Over '60 Minutes' Is Seen As Dubious – Analysis Donald Trump, In Separate Posts, Lashes Out At Fox News Personalities Howard Kurtz And Karl Rove The show's correspondent Scott Pelley noted at the outset of the segment that it was 'nearly impossible to get anyone on camera for this story because of the fear now running through our system of justice.' One who did was Marc Elias, a attorney for Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign and then, in 2020, someone who successfully challenged Trump's claims of election rigging. Nine firms either named in an executive order or under threat of one have reached agreements with the White House to provide pro bono legal services, estimated at nearly $1 billion. Elias told 60 Minutes, 'It is trying to intimidate them the way in which a mob boss intimidates people in the neighborhood that he is seeking to either exact protection money from or engage in other nefarious conduct. I mean, the fact is that these law firms are being told, 'If you don't play ball with us, maybe somethin' really bad will happen to you.' ' Trump has previously lashed out at 60 Minutes, while he's sued CBS over the show's interview last year with Kamala Harris. Trump's lawsuit claims that the show was deceptive, and violated Texas' Deceptive Trade Practices Act. 60 Minutes has denied that, while many legal experts see the lawsuit as frivolous. At the same time, Paramount Global needs administration approval for its merger with Skydance, and CBS lawyers have entered into settlement talks with Trump's team.; That has led to a great deal of consternation at CBS News. Last month, the show's executive producer, Bill Owens, resigned, saying that he no longer felt that he could 'make independent decisions based on what was right for 60 Minutes, right for the audience.' Last week, Pelley told viewers about Owens' resignation, telling viewers that as Paramount has sought merger approval, it 'began to supervise our content in new ways. None of our stories has been blocked, but Bill felt he had lost the independence that honest journalism requires.' In the latest segment, 60 Minutes featured Trump's defense of his EOs on law firms. The show also spotlighted legal arguments made by the administration as some firms have challenged the president's attacks in court. Trump was shown saying of the firms, 'They're not babies. They're very sophisticated people. Those law firms did bad things, bad things. They went after me for years, Russia, Russia, Russia, hoax, all a hoax.' Pelley asked Elias, 'If lawyers give up their independence, what is lost?' Elias said, 'The rule of law. And this is why the business community ought to care. Today, it might be that, you know, Donald Trump thinks he can take over the election system through one of his executive orders. Tomorrow maybe it's the banking system. After that, maybe it's contracts. Maybe he decrees I'm gonna decide which contracts are binding and which contracts aren't binding. So, the legal system is fundamental to how our society operates, how capitalism operates, and everyone should have a stake in that.' Best of Deadline 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery Brad Pitt's Apple 'F1' Movie: Everything We Know So Far Everything We Know About 'Nine Perfect Strangers' Season 2 So Far
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.
