Last week, we outlined the lawsuits against TikTok by New York, California, and North Carolina, that followed in the footsteps of Nebraska, Nevada (which filed suit against TikTok in February of 2024), and Indiana, which filed suit against TikTok in 2022. Since last week, at least 11 more states have joined the fray, including Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, Oregon, South Carolina, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia.

The coalition of Attorneys General have each filed a suit against TikTok in their own state jurisdictions, alleging that TikTok mislead the public about the safety of the platform, that the platform knowingly uses addictive features, and that it harms young people’s mental health.

Separately, the Texas Attorney General has filed suit against TikTok alleging that it is violating Texas’ “The Security Children Online Through Parental Empowerment Act,” which went into effect on September 1, 2024. The law “bans social media companies from selling or even sharing a minor’s information unless it has the approval of a guardian of the minor.” We anticipate that more states will join the cause piling on top of TikTok’s current legal woes.

Photo of Linn Foster Freedman Linn Foster Freedman

Linn Freedman practices in data privacy and security law, cybersecurity, and complex litigation. She is a member of the Business Litigation Group and the Financial Services Cyber-Compliance Team, and chairs the firm’s Data Privacy and Security and Artificial Intelligence Teams. Linn focuses her…

Linn Freedman practices in data privacy and security law, cybersecurity, and complex litigation. She is a member of the Business Litigation Group and the Financial Services Cyber-Compliance Team, and chairs the firm’s Data Privacy and Security and Artificial Intelligence Teams. Linn focuses her practice on compliance with all state and federal privacy and security laws and regulations. She counsels a range of public and private clients from industries such as construction, education, health care, insurance, manufacturing, real estate, utilities and critical infrastructure, marine and charitable organizations, on state and federal data privacy and security investigations, as well as emergency data breach response and mitigation. Linn is an Adjunct Professor of the Practice of Cybersecurity at Brown University and an Adjunct Professor of Law at Roger Williams University School of Law.  Prior to joining the firm, Linn served as assistant attorney general and deputy chief of the Civil Division of the Attorney General’s Office for the State of Rhode Island. She earned her J.D. from Loyola University School of Law and her B.A., with honors, in American Studies from Newcomb College of Tulane University. She is admitted to practice law in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Read her full rc.com bio here.