SEATTLE, Wash.-Washington State has joined the nationwide lawsuit against TikTok alleging that the social media platform is addictive to young users.
The Washington Attorney General’s Office announced that it had joined 14 other attorneys general in the bipartisan lawsuit on Oct. 8.
“TikTok is deceiving young people and their parents when it claims to look out for the safety of young users,” said Washington AG Bob Ferguson.
Filed in King County Superior Court, the Washington AG’s lawsuit accuses TikTok of violating the state Consumer Protection Act by targeting youth with features that encourage compulsive and excessive use to get them hooked on the platform.
The lawsuit also accuses TikTok of misleading public statements about its safety and content moderation practices despite internal research showing the risks to young users, according to a press release from the Washington AG’s Office.
“I am one of the millions of parents across Washington who knows firsthand the hold TikTok and other social media apps have on kids,” Ferguson said.
