South Carolina Attorney General sues TikTok for violating consumer protection laws

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCBD) – The South Carolina Attorney General has joined a bipartisan coalition of 14 attorneys general in a lawsuit against TikTok for violating state consumer protection laws.

Attorney General Alan Wilson’s action alleges that TikTok exploits and harms young users and deceives the public about the dangers of its social media platform, according to the Office.

“TikTok is knowingly addicting children to their platform and monetizing this behavior, all while deceiving parents about the safety of their business model,” said Attorney General Wilson.​

According to Attorney General Wilson, TikTok’s misconduct is due to its underlying business model designed to maximize young users’ time on the platform to boost revenue from selling targeted advertising space.

Attorney General Wilson alleges TikTok’s misconduct includes:

• Deploying a business model that is designed to be addictive and maximize the time young users spend on the platform.
• Using manipulative features, such as continuous scrolling, to keep kids and teens on the platform longer.
• Marketing the platform and platform features to parents as safe for kids and teens online and in app stores.

Attorneys general in California, New York, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia joined Attorney General Wilson in filing separate actions against TikTok.

To view the complaint, click here.