TikTok is currently facing a series of lawsuits initiated by 13 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, which were filed on Tuesday. These legal actions claim that the widely-used social media app harms and fails to safeguard young users.

The lawsuits were lodged separately across states including New York, California, and 11 others, broadening TikTok’s ongoing legal battles with U.S. authorities, and pursuing additional financial penalties against the platform.

These states allege that TikTok employs purposely addictive technology aimed at keeping children engaged for extended periods and misleads users regarding its content moderation capabilities.

“TikTok fosters social media dependence to enhance its profits,” stated California Attorney General Rob Bonta. “The platform specifically aims at children, knowing they lack the defenses to establish healthy boundaries around addictive content.”

According to the states, TikTok’s strategy revolves around maximizing user screen time to increase targeted advertising.

“Young individuals are facing mental health challenges due to addictive platforms such as TikTok,” remarked New York Attorney General Letitia James.

TikTok: ‘We offer robust safeguards’

In response, TikTok stated last week that it strongly contests the claims of failing to protect minors, asserting, “actually, we have implemented strong safeguards for both teenagers and their parents.”

Attorney General Brian Schwalb from Washington D.C. accused TikTok of running an unlicensed money transmission service due to its live streaming and virtual currency features.

In an interview, Schwalb stated, “TikTok’s platform is inherently dangerous. It is intentionally designed to be addictive, targeting young users and getting them hooked on their devices.”

The lawsuit from Washington claims that TikTok enables sexual exploitation of minors, arguing that its live streaming and virtual currency features operate similarly to a virtual strip club without age restrictions.

Besides Washington, the states of Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Vermont, and Washington also filed lawsuits on Tuesday.

In March 2022, states including California and Massachusetts began a nationwide investigation into TikTok’s effects on youths.

The U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit against TikTok in August for allegedly not adequately protecting children’s privacy on the platform. Other states, such as Utah and Texas, have also sued TikTok for not ensuring the safety of minors, and TikTok denied these allegations in a court document filed Monday.

Moreover, TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is engaged in a legal battle concerning a U.S. law that might lead to banning the app in the country.