Thirteen additional states and the District of Columbia are suing TikTok alleging the social media company has violated consumer protection laws. Documents discovered by Utah were “crucial” to the filing of these lawsuits, says the state’s consumer protection division.
On Tuesday, the 13 states and D.C. announced their separate lawsuits against TikTok, led by California and New York. California’s suit alleges TikTok uses addictive features to get children hooked on the app and the app has a harmful effect on children and teens. It is of a similar nature to the lawsuit filed by Utah one year ago.
“Today is a win for children and families in America as multiple states join Utah in the fight against TikTok’s aggressive actions that endanger and exploit minors for financial gain,” said Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes in a statement early Tuesday.
Reyes said since the state filed its initial lawsuit, the court ordered TikTok to comply with their subpoenas “leading to evidence that the social media giant built a revenue stream from the exploitation of minors on its platform.”