Several States Accuse TikTok of Addiction: 12 Sue Over “Digital Nicotine” Concerns

TikTok video-sharing platform is facing a series of lawsuits from more than a dozen U.S. states, filed over the addictive design that’s harming the mental health of children and teenagers. Emerging in the wake of a bipartisan investigation, the lawsuits have been filed against TikTok for deliberately fostering addiction among users, especially the young, using manipulative features: endless scrolling, targeted algorithms, and beauty filters. It’s been framed by the leading attorneys general as “digital nicotine,” and in that phrasing lies the seriousness of the allegations.

Other complaints revolve around the deliberate design of TikTok, critics say, to maximize user time, especially in vulnerable age brackets. The litigations repeat that the algorithms of the platform are deliberately designed to trail off bursts of dopamine and utilize that as a reward system to promote extended use. Features of infinite scrolling, push notifications, and even beauty-enhancing face filters contribute toward this issue.

These complaints outline how such addictively engineered design is pertinent to a range of mental health disorders, from depression and anxiety to sleep deprivation and body dysmorphia. These issues have become particularly pointed among TikTok’s young audience, as the platform allegedly enables an environment in which kids and teenagers are incessantly exposed to impossible-to-achieve beauty standards and dangerous content related to body image, self-harm, and disordered eating.

The complaints, filed in state courts, say TikTok has violated consumer protection laws by prioritizing profits over the safety of its young users. The lawsuits are a result of a bipartisan investigation that began in March 2022 by a coalition of attorneys general. Leading the battlements is Attorney General of D.C. Brian Schwalb, who has spoken out against the platform’s contribution to worsening mental health in youth. It is by design that TikTok is addictive, he said, and its designrama is toxic for the mental health of young people.

These lawsuits, besides demanding penalties for the alleged actions of TikTok, are also asking for serious changes in how it operates. States want changes in TikTok’s product design, better content moderation practices, and much better child safety measures.

While TikTok has not commented officially on these complaints, it in turn has signaled variously that it wants to assure users of its safety. It rolled out a suite of protections for younger users, including reminders of how much time they spend on the app, limits on direct messaging for minors, and resources for well-being through mental health.

Attorneys general behind these complaints say those measures are superficial band-aids, but don’t cut deeper into the more significant problems at play.

Other states that have joined the litigation include California, New York, Texas, Washington, and Kentucky. The lawsuits request both injunctive relief and monetary penalties in attempts to hold TikTok liable for contributing to the increasingly worsening youth mental health crisis. The lawsuit is part of broader efforts to regulate social media platforms and protect younger users from possible harms caused by addictive algorithms and misleading content.

The consequences of these cases are such that serious repercussions may be felt not only by TikTok but, even more generally, by the social media industry. If the courts rule against TikTok, this may mean a necessary redesign of the platform; it would also entail much more stringent controls over the algorithm and more protection introduced for young users. This might set a legal precedent for similar cases to be lodged against other platforms, like Instagram and YouTube, that have also faced criticism for their toll on mental health and child safety.