CONCORD, N.H. (WHDH) - The New Hampshire Attorney General on Tuesday announced a lawsuit against TikTok, accusing the company of “unfair and deceptive acts” that harm the mental health and wellbeing of children.
The office of Attorney General John Formella in a statement said the lawsuit alleges TikTok violated New Hampshire’s consumer protection statute and other laws. The legal action follows another lawsuit against Facebook’s parent company, Meta, alleging “similar manipulative design features and deceptive practices,” according to the AG’s office.
“Today, we take a critical step to protect our children from the predatory practices of TikTok,” Formella said.
He continued, saying the lawsuit “underscores our commitment to holding social media platforms accountable for their harmful actions to youth.”
“We will vigorously pursue this case to ensure that TikTok is held responsible and that meaningful changes are made to protect our children’s well-being,” Formella said.
Among specific allegations, the AG’s office said TikTok created “a manipulative and addictive product that ensnares young users into endlessly scrolling its platform.”
The AG’s office said TikTok misled users and their parents about the effectiveness of content moderation and community guidelines.
TikTok allegedly collected personal data from children under the age of 13 without disclosures or parental consent, according to the AG’s office, and “inappropriately downplay[ed]” the continued control that Chinese parent company ByteDance has over TikTok.
As part of its lawsuit, the state of New Hampshire is asking a judge to enter an injunction “requiring substantive changes in how the company operates.” The state is also asking for penalties and other monetary relief “to address the harms that these practices have caused.”
A massively popular social media app, TikTok has been the subject of controversy for several years as lawmakers and members of the public question its ties to China and its impact on young users.
President Joe Biden in April signed a bill that could lead to a nationwide ban on TikTok. The ban is scheduled to take effect early next year unless ByteDance sells TikTok to a non-Chinese company.
TikTok has sued to block the ban, saying in court filings that a ban would be unconstitutional.
TikTok has simultaneously stood by the safety of its platform amid accusations such as the ones New Hampshire authorities levied this week.
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