### Bipartisan Coalition of States Sues TikTok for Alleged Harm to Young Users’ Mental Health

A coalition of 14 attorneys general initiated legal proceedings against the social media giant TikTok on Tuesday. The lawsuits, led by New York and California officials, accuse TikTok of harming the mental health of young users and collecting their data without proper consent.

The legal action, backed by a bipartisan group of law enforcement officials, contends that TikTok has violated state laws by making misleading claims regarding the safety of its platform for younger audiences. New York Attorney General Letitia James issued a statement highlighting the mental health struggles young people face due to addictive social media platforms like TikTok. "TikTok claims that their platform is safe for young people, but that is far from true," said James.

The lawsuits target several aspects of the platform deemed problematic by the plaintiffs, such as the platform's addictive features, including 24/7 notifications and video autoplay. They also criticize "dangerous TikTok 'challenges'" and allege the collection of data from users under 13 without parental consent, which is an apparent violation of federal online privacy laws.

In response, a spokesperson for TikTok contested the allegations, claiming many of them are "inaccurate and misleading." The spokesperson emphasized the company's ongoing efforts to protect teens, such as introducing default screen time limits, family pairing features, and enhanced privacy settings for minors under 16.

Health professionals have increasingly voiced concerns about the impact of heavy social media use on mental and physical health, particularly in younger demographics. A report released by Surgeon General Vivek Murthy in May 2023 identified social media as a significant contributor to depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues among teenagers. Murthy also called in June for Congress to mandate tobacco-style warnings on social media platforms to shield young users from potential harm.

The Senate Judiciary Committee this year questioned the CEOs of TikTok, Meta, and X over online child safety and youth mental health. Additionally, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt's recent book "The Anxious Generation," published this spring, has sparked debate about the potential mental health risks associated with excessive smartphone use among young people.

TikTok, a platform noted for its viral content and influence, boasts over 170 million users in the U.S., capturing significant attention from young audiences. Despite its popularity, the platform has faced criticism related to mental health impacts and national security concerns, with lawmakers from both parties fearing that Beijing could exploit the app for data harvesting and political purposes. However, the recent lawsuits focus solely on alleged harm to users' mental health and data privacy violations, not national security.

The lawsuits propose to curb TikTok's business practices aimed at maximizing young users' engagement to grow revenue from targeted ads. They seek financial penalties, including the return of all profits obtained through allegedly fraudulent and illegal practices, and aim to secure damages for affected users.

The coalition filing these lawsuits includes attorneys general from California, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Vermont, Washington state, and Washington, D.C.