In a recent legal move, the state of Iowa has filed a lawsuit against TikTok, leveling allegations that the popular video-based social media platform deceived parents regarding their children’s exposure to unsuitable content within the app.
The Iowa Attorney General, Brenna Bird, a Republican, launched the lawsuit in a Polk County state court, asserting that TikTok and its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, deliberately misrepresented the prevalence of explicit content on their platform, including drugs, nudity, alcohol, and profanity.
“Bird emphasized, “TikTok has been keeping parents in the dark. It’s time we shed light on TikTok for exposing young children to graphic materials such as sexual content, self-harm, illegal drug use, and worse.”
Accusing TikTok of consumer fraud, Iowa seeks financial penalties and a court order to prohibit ByteDance-owned TikTok from engaging in deceptive and unfair practices.
In response, TikTok defended itself, stating, “We have industry-leading safeguards in place for young people, including parental controls and time limits for those under 18. We are committed to addressing industry-wide challenges and will continue to prioritize community safety.”
This legal action by Iowa follows a series of similar lawsuits filed by U.S. states against TikTok. Pressure from regulators worldwide has intensified on social media platforms, urging them to safeguard children from harmful content.
Notably, states like Arkansas and Utah have filed comparable cases, while a judge in Indiana dismissed a lawsuit against TikTok in November. Investigations by other states are ongoing.
Montana, on January 2, declared its intention to appeal a U.S. judge’s decision in November to block the state’s pioneering ban on TikTok. The ban, scheduled to take effect on January 1, faced a preliminary injunction from U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy, who deemed Montana’s law unconstitutional and an overreach of state power.
Looking ahead, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is set to testify on January 31 before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on online child sexual exploitation.
