Minnesota sues TikTok, calling it ‘digital nicotine’ for young users

Minnesota sues TikTok, calling it ?digital nicotine? for young users

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced on Tuesday a lawsuit against TikTok in Hennepin County Court, alleging the app is highly-addictive and the company cares more about profits than the well-being of its user base.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced on Tuesday a lawsuit against TikTok in Hennepin County Court.

Ellison is accusing the social media platform of violating consumer protection laws by designing the app to be highly addictive, and prioritizing profit over the well-being of its users. Ellison on Tuesday went so far as to call it "digital nicotine" for its young user base.

Minnesota AG sues TikTok

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced a lawsuit against social media giant TikTok on Tuesday. Ellison is accusing the social media platform of violating consumer protection laws by designing the app to be highly addictive, and prioritizing profit over the well-being of its users.

Minnesota sues TikTok, calls it 'digital nicotine' for users [FULL]

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is suing TikTok, accusing the social media platform of violating consumer protection laws by designing the app to be highly addictive, and prioritizing profit over the well-being of its users. Ellison on Tuesday went so far as to call it "digital nicotine" for its young user base.

TikTok lawsuit

What we know:

Ellison’s lawsuit against TikTok is similar to a federal lawsuit filed against Meta in October 2023 for similar violations of the design of Instagram and Facebook.

The lawsuit alleges that TikTok lures in young users to excessive use that can impact neurodevelopmental vulnerabilities. Ellison accuses TikTok of squeezing time, attention, data and money out of users by maximizing their time on the app.

Ellison also argues the pairing of TikTok LIVE with unlicensed virtual currencies has resulted in documented instances of sexual and financial exploitation of its young users.

The lawsuit accuses the platform's live feature of being, "a strip club filled with 15-year-olds."

TikTok linked to depression, anxiety in teens

Why you should care:

Ellison accuses TikTok of being linked to increased rates of depression, anxiety and hopelessness among youth in Minnesota. He argues excessive use of the app can severely harm the mental health of young people, double the risk of negative mental health outcomes like depression, anxiety and even suicidal ideation.

Ellison says a recent survey found 54% of Minnesota high school juniors reported feeling down, depressed or hopeless at least several days a week. About 70% reported feeling nervous, anxious or on edge.

"If you know nothing else about TikTok, you know it’s extremely addicting," Ellison said. "Simply put, the more people TikTok can get addicted to its app, the more money they make, and the more their users’ mental health suffers," added Ellison. "This conduct is not just deeply immoral, it’s illegal. Today, I am filing a lawsuit to bring an end to TikTok’s preying on Minnesota’s children."

TikTok responds

What they're saying:

Officials with TikTok responded to Ellison's claims in Tuesday's lawsuit.

"This lawsuit is based on misleading and inaccurate claims that fail to recognize the robust safety measures TikTok has voluntarily implemented to support the well-being of our community. Teen accounts on TikTok come with 50+ features and settings designed to help young people safely express themselves, discover and learn. Through our Family Pairing tool, parents can view or customize 20+ content and privacy settings, including screen time, content filters, and our time away feature to pause a teen’s access to our app."

Who is using TikTok?

By the numbers:

Ellison’s lawsuit indicates 95% of kids ages 13-17 in the U.S. with a smartphone have TikTok. Data from TikTok shows they’re checking the app an average of 17 times per day, and are on it about two hours per day.

What change is Ellison seeking?

Why you should care:

Ellison’s lawsuit seeks to hold TikTok to account for its addictive business practices and protect Minnesota teens from harm to their health, physical and mental.

Ellison is asking the court to require major changes to how TikTok operates. The lawsuit also seeks penalties and monetary relief to address harms the app has caused, and deter future illegal conduct.