Hawaii Sues TikTok,Alleging Platform is Designed to Addict Children
HONOLULU,HI – hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez announced a lawsuit Wednesday against TikTok,alleging teh social media giant knowingly built a platform designed to be addictive,particularly for children,and failed to adequately protect young users from harm. The lawsuit claims TikTok’s algorithms and features exploit vulnerabilities in the developing brains of children, leading to mental health issues and exposing them to dangerous content.
The legal action seeks to compel TikTok to implement meaningful safeguards for children,accurately disclose the risks associated with its platform,and cease deploying practices deemed harmful and deceptive. Hawaii’s lawsuit arrives amid growing national concern over the impact of social media on youth mental health and safety, and follows similar investigations and legal challenges facing the company. The state alleges millions of TikTok users are under the age of 13, despite the platform’s stated age restriction of 13 and older.
“As leaders, it’s our duty to protect our youth from platforms that prioritize profit over their health,” Attorney General Green stated. “this lawsuit is a crucial step in holding tiktok accountable for the harm it’s causing and ensuring that our children can safely navigate the digital world.”
The lawsuit, filed in Hawaii state court, is being pursued with the assistance of law firms Starn O’Toole Marcus and Fisher and Keller Rohrback L.L.P,appointed as special deputy attorneys general for the case. TikTok has not yet responded to requests for comment.
