Utah Governor Spencer Cox welcomes U.S. President Joe Biden earlier than he spoke on the George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center on August 10, 2023 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
George Frey | Getty Images
Utah is the newest state to file swimsuit towards TikTok, alleging the social media web site misled its residents about its relationship to its Chinese guardian firm and deceptively touted its platform as secure.
TikTok has already confronted comparable lawsuits from Arkansas and Indiana, whereas Montana has chosen to ban the app altogether, a transfer that TikTok and creators have challenged. The motion amongst states focusing on TikTok stands in distinction to stagnation in Washington, the place proposed laws that would result in a ban of the app has stalled following an early wave of bipartisan momentum. It underscores how states have taken the lead on many tech coverage points given the issue of transferring laws via Congress.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox invoked analysis about social media’s affect on adolescents, together with a current U.S. Surgeon General report, in saying the lawsuit on Tuesday.
“Social media companies must be held responsible for the harms they are causing,” Cox mentioned in an announcement.
In the grievance, filed in state courtroom, Attorney General Sean Reyes alleges that TikTok violated Utah’s shopper safety legal guidelines in 3 ways:
- By deploying and advertising and marketing “an addictive product with design features intended to manipulate children.”
- By misrepresenting the protection of the app and deceptively claiming it “can effectively maintain a safe digital environment for children.”
- By deceptive customers in regards to the diploma of its relationship with China-based guardian firm ByteDance.
TikTok didn’t instantly reply to a request for touch upon the swimsuit.
TikTok’s possession by a China-based firm has been on the crux of many authorities officers’ issues in regards to the firm. That’s as a result of Chinese legislation may compel corporations based mostly there handy over inside info if the federal government cites nationwide safety issues.
The different parts of the swimsuit contact on issues that many individuals have about social media platforms normally, not simply TikTok. Still, the lawsuit houses in on options like TikTok’s vertical swipe to load new movies, likening it to a slot machine that retains customers coming again for a dopamine rush.
Utah has been notably energetic in looking for to guard its residents from what it sees because the dangerous results of social media. Earlier this yr, Cox signed two new legal guidelines that might implement sweeping new restrictions aiming to guard children on-line. For instance, they’d limit the hours that minors are capable of entry social media platforms, require age verification to take care of an account and provides mother and father a option to entry their children’ accounts, together with personal messages.
Privacy and LGBTQ+ rights advocates have warned that such restrictions may backfire by requiring extra invasive practices to confirm the age of all customers. Additionally, giving mother and father broad entry to children’ accounts may put youngsters in abusive houses in hurt’s method, opponents of the laws have argued.
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