KUALA LUMPUR – Another US state is seeking an injunction against video-based platform TikTok – this time for lying about how easy it is for underaged users to access inappropriate content on the app.
Iowa Attorney-General Brenna Bird in a suit accused TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance of lying about the prevalence of content relating to nudity, drugs and alcohol use as well as self-harm.
“TikTok has kept parents in the dark. It’s time we shine a light on TikTok for exposing young children to graphic materials such as sexual content, self-harm, illegal drug use, and worse.”
Tiktok, which is accused of violating the Iowa Consumer Fraud Act, was accused of wrongfully rating its app as “12+” on the Apple App Store as harmful content was easily available.
The suit added that its investigations found users who registered as 13-year-olds could “readily find” recipes for “highly alcoholic drinks,” provocative dancing and content promoting self-harm.
Bird is seeking an injunction to compel “TikTok to cease its deceptive, misleading, false and unfair statements and conduct” for content served to underaged users.
Iowa is also seeking penalties, disgorgement, and other costs and fees as well as a US$40,000 (RM188,680) fine per violation. Other states in the US, such as Arkansas and Utah, have suits against TikTok.
Meanwhile, a US mother – Tawainna Anderson – has appealed for her suit against TikTok be heard even though Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act in 1996 protects companies from being sued for content posted by users.
Anderson has filed a suit against TikTok and ByteDance after her daughter Nylah in 2021 attempted the blackout challenge using a purse strap in her mother’s closet. She lost consciousness, suffered severe injuries, and died five days later.
In her suit, she claimed that TikTok was a defective product and that its algorithm pushed videos about the blackout challenge to her child.
On January 2, Montana will appeal against the court decision to dismiss its attempt to block TikTok in the state.
A preliminary injunction was issued to block the ban, saying Montana’s law would violate the constitution.
TikTok CEO Chew Shou Zi is scheduled on January 31 to testify before the US Senate Judiciary Committee and to answer claims of online child sexual exploitation. – January 18, 2024