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Shocking news as the state of Iowa has officially filed a lawsuit against TikTok, accusing the company of misleading parents about their children’s exposure to harmful content.
The lawsuit, filed by Iowa’s Attorney General Brenna Bird, claims that both TikTok and ByteDance have been dishonest with parents about the types of content their children are being exposed to, including nudity, profanity, drugs, and alcohol.
But this isn’t the first time Iowa has taken action against the Chinese company. In 2022, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds banned TikTok from state devices due to security concerns. Now, with this new lawsuit, the state is seeking financial penalties and an order to prohibit TikTok from engaging in unfair and deceptive conduct.
TikTok’s Age Ratings on App Stores Inaccurate, Claims Lawsuit
According to the lawsuit, TikTok’s age ratings on app stores don’t accurately reflect the content on the platform, potentially exposing children to harmful material.
Even the app’s age ratings on the Apple App Store, Google Play store, and Microsoft Store are allegedly inaccurate.
The state of Iowa found a variety of inappropriate content available to children as young as 13 years old, leading them to seek an injunction that restricts TikTok from misleading people about the presence of inappropriate content. The state also seeks financial compensation, including disgorgement, civil penalties, and other fees.
The Attorney General accused TikTok of deceiving parents and failing to prevent young children from accessing harmful content.
Despite these accusations, TikTok maintains that it has industry-leading safeguards in place to protect young users from harmful content.
Mounting Pressure Against TikTok
The lawsuit against TikTok is part of a larger trend of US states taking action against the social media company. The lawsuit includes allegations of deceptive practices, baiting children to spend excessive time on social media, and misrepresenting the app’s safety features.