The former vice president backs the lawsuit • Tiktok: “False and misleading”
Tiktok is designed to be addictive and harm children’s mental health.
This is claimed by 13 US states and Washington DC – which is now suing the Chinese social media giant, reports the AP news agency.
“Tiktok is a digital fentanyl,” signs former Vice President Mike Pence X.
In March 2022, US authorities launched a comprehensive investigation into the Chinese social media platform Tiktok. The investigation was led by the top prosecutors of several states, including those of California and New York.
It is against the background of this investigation that now 13 states and the federal district of the District of Columbia (Washington DC, editor’s note) are now suing Tiktok, AP writes.
Prosecutors are primarily targeting Tiktok’s algorithm, which tailors the content to the user’s interests.
“Has chosen profit over health”
The algorithm’s design is accused of being addictive to children. Among other things, it is about the possibility of endless scrolling and face filters that create unattainable looks and ideals.
– They have chosen profit over the health, safety and future of our children, says California’s top attorney Rob Bonta.
“Digital Fentanyl”
Former Vice President Mike Pence views the announcement positively and believes that Tiktok is a “digital fentanyl”.
“It’s great to see state attorneys from across the country taking action to protect our children from the harmful effects of China’s Tiktok,” he writes on X.
In the investigation, comparisons have been made with how states previously organized themselves against the tobacco and pharmaceutical industry. In addition, its existence in the US has been questioned due to its connection to China, and under a federal law that took effect earlier this year, the platform could be banned in the US by mid-January if its China-based parent company, Bytedance, does not sell the platform.