More than 10 US states have filed lawsuits against TikTok, claiming that the popular app is harming the mental health of young people through its operating algorithm that creates addiction among children, reports AP News.
The lawsuits are part of a US national investigation into TikTok that was launched in March 2022 by a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general from several states, including California, Kentucky and New Jersey. All complaints were filed in state courts.
At the heart of each process is TikTok’s algorithm, which decides what users see on the platform, populating the app’s main “For You” stream with content tailored to people’s interests.
The TikTok Algorithm, a ‘Dopamine Inducer’
The lawsuits also point to design features of the app that would make children addicted. These include the ability to endlessly scroll through content, push notification sounds and vibrations, and face filters that create standards that are inaccessible to users.
The District of Columbia, which has also sued the platform, said in filings that the algorithm is a “dopamine inducer” and claimed it was created to be intentionally addictive so the company could trap as many young users as possible to keep on his app for hours. TikTok does this despite knowing that these behaviors will lead to “profound psychological and physiological harm” such as anxiety, depression, body dysmorphia and other long-term problems, the complaint says.
TikTok does not allow children under 13 to register on the platform and restricts certain content to anyone under 18. However, Washington and several other states said in their complaints that they can easily bypass the restrictions and access the service used by adults, despite the company’s claims that its platform is safe for children.
Source: www.descopera.ro
