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Oct. 8, 2024 – More than a dozen states and the District of Columbia filed lawsuits against TikTok on Tuesday, alleging the popular short-form video app is damaging children’s mental health with a product designed to be used compulsively and excessively.
The lawsuits stem from a national investigation into TikTok, which was launched in March 2022.
At the heart of each lawsuit is the TikTok algorithm, which powers what users see on the platform by populating the app’s main “For You” feed with content tailored to people’s interests.
In its filings, the District of Columbia called the algorithm “dopamine-inducing”, and said it was created to be intentionally addictive so the company could trap many young users into excessive use and keep them on its app for hours on end. TikTok does this despite knowing that these behaviors will lead to “profound psychological and physiological harms”, such as anxiety, depression, body dysmorphia and other long-lasting problems, the complaint said.
