(Representational Image: Solen Feyissa via Unsplash)
The US state of Indiana says that TikTok has not done enough to protect youth privacy and security on its social media platform.
The short-form video hosting service, owned by Chinese conglomerate ByteDance, has been sued by representatives from Indiana.
As the BBC reported, Todd Rokita, attorney journal presenting the case, said that TikTok violated consumer protection laws, and fails to ensure the safety of youth on its platform.
TikTok said that it considers youth well-being a primary pillar of its service, and hopes to convince the US authorities over national safety concerns.
The Indiana state filed two lawsuits against the company. One of them alleges that TikTok exposes the youth to inappropriate material. In the other one, the state says that the service fails to mention how much of the user data the Chinese government has access to.
The court documents filed by the state accuse TikTok of being a “Chinese trojan horse” and go on to say that the app “makes a variety of misleading representations and omissions to claim a 12+ rating on the Apple App Store and a “T” for “Teen” rating in the Google Play Store and the Microsoft Store”.
It also alleges that the algorithm governing the service, “serves up abundant content depicting alcohol, tobacco, and drugs; sexual content, nudity, and suggestive themes; and intense profanity. TikTok promotes this content regardless of a user’s age, which means that it is available to users registered with ages as young as 13”.
The US state is seeking an injunction against the service for “unfair and deceptive conduct”.
A spokesperson for TikTok said, “the safety, privacy and security of our community is our top priority”.
He clarified that the app has parental controls and several age-gated features.