To add to TikTok’s legal woes in the U.S., Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers (AG) filed suit against TikTok on May 22, 2024, alleging that TikTok violated Nebraska’s consumer protection laws and engaged in deceptive trade practices by “designing and operating a platform that is addictive and harmful to teens and children.” In addition, the AG alleges that “TikTok’s features fail to protect kids and regularly expose underage users to age-inappropriate and otherwise harmful content.”
The AG alleges that the use of TikTok by children in Nebraska “has fueled a youth mental health crisis in Nebraska.” The AG further alleges that TikTok is “addictive, that compulsive use is rampant, and that its purported safety features, such as age verification and parental controls, are grossly ineffective.”
The AG filed suit after his office conducted an investigation into TikTok’s practices, which included creating TikTok accounts of fictitious minors. According to the AG, TikTok’s algorithm directed the fictitious minors to inappropriate content “within minutes” of opening an account.
TikTok denies the allegations. We will continue to follow and update our readers on developments in the TikTok debate.