TikTok: US judges investigate alleged addiction mechanisms
Bytedance wanted the lawsuit to be dismissed – but the judge wants to investigate the allegations of an addictive design by TikTok.
(Image: Camilo Concha/Shutterstock.com)
As with many social media services, TikTok, and this app in particular, is repeatedly accused of working with addictive mechanisms. These are said to be tailored to young users in particular. The public prosecutor's office in the US state of New Hampshire is now investigating whether this is actually the case.
A lawsuit by consumer advocates is pending in the state's highest court. TikTok wanted to have this dismissed by means of a petition. On Friday, however, Judge John Kissinger Jr. ruled that the allegations will be investigated. As the judge writes in his decision (PDF), the allegations are sufficiently precise to investigate the "allegedly harmful and dangerous functions" of the app.
In a statement, the public prosecutor's office also said that TikTok had used "unfair actions and deceptive practices". The company's claims regarding the protection of minors were also untrue. TikTok, of course, disagrees, telling CNBC that the allegations are "outdated and based on hand-picked allegations". According to other lawsuits filed by US states, TikTok is said to have knowingly ignored the dangers of the app.
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Only a quarter of particularly young users
The fact that TikTok is primarily used by young people, which is often claimed, no longer appears to be true according to figures from the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office. According to their investigations, the service has 1.2 million users in the state, only a quarter of whom are under the age of 23. And only 93,000 are said to be between the ages of 13 and 17.
The trial in New Hampshire is also very important because, according to federal law, the app should have been sold to US operators or blocked in the USA as early as January 2025. However, President Trump recently extended the deadline for this for the third time and it now runs until September 17. According to unconfirmed reports, TikTok is already working on a new version of the app specifically for the USA. In line with the country's strong federalism, each state has different rules for consumer protection. The proceedings in New Hampshire could point the way for the requirements for a new TikTok.
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