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SALT LAKE CITY — TikTok is aware that its popular social media platform can be detrimental to the mental health of young users, and it employs "coercive" tactics to keep users focused on its app, according to a recently unredacted lawsuit filed by the state of Utah.
Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes initially filed the lawsuit against TikTok in October on behalf of the state's Division of Consumer Protection, alleging that the social media platform was harmful to teen users. Much of that lawsuit was redacted at the time, but Utah filed new court documents Thursday that include unredacted portions of the original complaint.
The complaint alleges that TikTok intentionally designed features to addict users to its platform and that it misled the public about the efficacy of safety measures included in the app.
"(This) filing represents a significant win for the state of Utah in its case against TikTok," Reyes said in a prepared statement. "The public will have a full and unobstructed view of the most serious allegations in our complaint. Now, Utahns can better understand why we acted so quickly and decisively to try and stop the harms our youth face on social media."
The unredacted complaint outlines several app features the state alleges are "manipulative" to users, including an infinite scroll feed and "highly personalized" push notifications, which the lawsuit claims are persistent and sometimes sent to teenagers up until midnight.
As many as 1 in 5 TikTok users aged 13 to 15 use the app between midnight and 5 a.m., according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit compares some TikTok features to casino slot machines, which use a "variable reward schedule" to keep players guessing when the next prize will come.
"The TikTok app functions in much the same way," the lawsuit alleges. "Like a slot machine, users 'swipe down' on the app to load more videos continuously, each new video requiring only a small investment of their time, and the user is excited for each new video by the possibility that it might be incredibly rewarding. This pattern keeps users engaged, constantly anticipating that dopamine rush."
Reyes said the state feels "strongly that TikTok has prioritized profit and greed far above the well-being and safety of our kids."
TikTok's endless feed algorithms are designed to show users posts that fit their interests, which the lawsuit says can trap users in a feedback loop, "sending them spiraling down 'endless streams of depressing and suicide-glorifying videos."
While TikTok has publicly touted safety features such as screen time management and moderation tools to protect children and teens from potentially harmful content, Utah alleges that the company knows that its tools are inadequate. The lawsuit says the platform is a "haven" for disturbing content — "including videos featuring beheadings, mass shootings, suicide and eating disorders, and is known to have communities of sexual predators soliciting nudes and other photos from children."
Utah cites several internal documents and chats the state alleges show TikTok is aware of many shortfalls in its content moderation and safety policies, and the lawsuit accuses the company of not doing enough to protect the mental health of young users.
The lawsuit also alleges TikTok is aware of a problem with child sexual abuse material on the app.
"According to some TikTok employees, the problem 'feels like an emergency that we should assemble a task force to address,'" the lawsuit states. "Despite this knowledge and its promises to consumers that it takes steps to remove this content, TikTok has done little to address this 'emergency.'"
The complaint also claims that TikTok fails to adequately moderate comments on videos posted to the platform, thereby missing "obvious predatory behavior." As an example, the lawsuit points to a 26-year-old West Valley man who was charged with aggravated kidnapping and rape of a 14-year-old girl from Arizona he found on TikTok.
Portions of the lawsuit remain redacted even in the most recent filing. Utah alleges TikTok has violated state law by engaging in "unconscionable acts and practices by a supplier" and deceptive business practices.
The lawsuit asks the courts to prevent TikTok from continuing to violate state code and seeks restitution and damages over $300,000, along with attorney's fees related to the litigation.
Utah has also sued Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, for allegedly addictive features. The state has been sued by NetChoice, a tech industry group, and a group of residents over a landmark set of social media regulations passed by the Utah Legislature last year.
Those regulations were set to go into effect on March 1 but have been pushed back to Oct. 1 while lawmakers consider further changes to the law.
