States sue TikTok over children's mental health
The lawsuit was filed by 13 states and Washington, D.C.


What happened
A bipartisan coalition of attorneys general from 13 states and the District of Columbia filed lawsuits against TikTok on Tuesday, alleging that the social media app was addictive and harmful to the mental health of children.
Who said what
The lawsuits, each filed in state court, accuse TikTok of "knowingly contributed to a mental health crisis among American teenagers to maximize its advertising revenue," The New York Times said. The app, which claims 170 million monthly U.S. users, was designed to trap children with addictive features like buzzing push notifications, endless scrolling and beauty filters that promote unhealthy body images, anxiety and depression, the attorneys general argue. The D.C. lawsuit calls TikTok's algorithm "dopamine-inducing."
The legal challenges against TikTok and other social media platforms, including YouTube and Instagram, are "part of a growing reckoning" aimed at protecting the mental health of young people, The Associated Press said. The coordinated lawsuits resemble how states "previously organized against the tobacco and pharmaceutical industries."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
TikTok said it "strongly" disagrees with the states' "inaccurate and misleading claims," and is "deeply committed" to protecting teens.
What next?
Yesterday's lawsuits are "just the latest legal pressure facing TikTok," CNN said. Notably, the company is fighting to reverse a total U.S. ban slated to start next year unless the app cuts ties with its Chinese owner ByteDance. The 14 attorneys general are seeking to bar TikTok from using the allegedly addictive features and to impose financial penalties and damages for users harmed by them.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Rafi Schwartz has worked as a politics writer at The Week since 2022, where he covers elections, Congress and the White House. He was previously a contributing writer with Mic focusing largely on politics, a senior writer with Splinter News, a staff writer for Fusion's news lab, and the managing editor of Heeb Magazine, a Jewish life and culture publication. Rafi's work has appeared in Rolling Stone, GOOD and The Forward, among others.
-
Kaja Kallas: the EU's new chief diplomat shaping the future of European defense
In the Spotlight Former Estonian Prime Minister's status as an uncompromising Russia hawk has gone from liability to strength
By David Faris Published
-
7 ways to drink spectacularly across the United States this spring
The Week Recommends A bar for every springtime occasion
By Scott Hocker, The Week US Published
-
Test flight of orbital rocket from Europe explodes
Speed Read Isar Aerospace conducted the first test flight of the Spectrum orbital rocket, which crashed after takeoff
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Test flight of orbital rocket from Europe explodes
Speed Read Isar Aerospace conducted the first test flight of the Spectrum orbital rocket, which crashed after takeoff
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
OpenAI's new model is 'really good' at creative writing
Under the Radar CEO Sam Altman says he is impressed. But is this merely an attempt to sell more subscriptions?
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Apple pledges $500B in US spending over 4 years
Speed Read This is a win for Trump, who has pushed to move manufacturing back to the US
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Microsoft unveils quantum computing breakthrough
Speed Read Researchers say this advance could lead to faster and more powerful computers
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Elon Musk's DOGE website has gotten off to a bad start
In the Spotlight The site was reportedly able to be edited by anyone when it first came online
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Decline of dating apps: will AI be our knight in shining armour?
In The Spotlight New features have raised concerns about privacy and manipulation
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Romance scammers are taking advantage of Americans
Under the Radar The FBI and tech companies have warned against these scams
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Claws, motherships and shotguns are just some of the latest drone technology
The Explainer Beyond just surveillance, drones can now be used for a wide array of purposes
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published