No, that is not a clock you hear – it's just TikTok
in the news again, as several states filed lawsuits or other legal
challenges last week against the platform, alleging harmful and
exploitative tactics affecting the mental health of children
users.
Lawsuits
Last week, New York Attorney General Letitia James and
California Attorney General Rob Bonta co-led a bipartisan coalition of 14 attorneys
general filing individual state lawsuits against TikTok
for violating state laws. New York's suit, for example, alleges
violations of Executive Law § 63(12) for repeated
and persistent fraudulent acts, deceptive business practices, and
false advertising, among other violations. This includes claims
that the platform is safe for young people, despite supposedly
causing youth users poor mental health and body image issues, as
well as introducing and promoting allegedly
dangerous “challenges” that have led to injuries
and even deaths. The lawsuits also allege that TikTok