South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson joined a bipartisan coalition of 14 attorneys general in filing separate enforcement actions against TikTok for alleged violations of state consumer protection laws.
Wilson’s action alleges that TikTok exploits and harms young users and deceives the public about the social media platform’s dangers.
“TikTok is knowingly addicting children to their platform and monetizing this behavior, all while deceiving parents about the safety of their business model,” Wilson said.
Use of TikTok is pervasive among young people in the United States.
According to Wilson, in 2023, 63 percent of all Americans aged 13 to 17 who responded to a Pew Research survey reported using TikTok, and most teenagers in the U.S. were using TikTok daily.
Wilson said TikTok’s misconduct arises from its underlying business model that focuses on maximizing young users’ time on the TikTok platform to enable the company to boost revenue from selling targeted advertising space.
TikTok’s misconduct, according to Wilson, includes:
* Deploying a business model that is designed to be addictive and maximize the time young users spend on the platform.
* Using manipulative features, such as continuous scrolling, to keep kids and teens on the platform longer.
* Marketing the platform and platform features to parents as safe for kids and teens online and in app stores.
The Wall Street Journal reported TikTok strongly disagrees with the claims and believes many of them are inaccurate and misleading.
According to The Journal, the company said it provides robust safeguards and has voluntarily launched features such as screen-time limits and privacy by default for users under age 16.
Attorneys general from the following states joined Wilson in filing separate enforcement actions against TikTok: California, New York, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia.
As of Oct. 8, 2024, 23 attorneys general have filed actions against TikTok for its conduct toward youth, including existing actions filed by the attorneys general of Utah, Nevada, Indiana, New Hampshire, Nebraska, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, and Texas.