Download a broadcast quality video file of Attorney General Raoul’s remarks here.
Raoul, Bipartisan Coalition Allege TikTok Targets Youth with Addictive Features
Chicago – Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced that his office filed a lawsuit against TikTok for its harmful business practices targeting children and allegedly deceiving the public about the social media platform’s dangers.
Today’s lawsuit stems from a bipartisan nationwide investigation announced by Raoul in March 2022. Illinois’ action seeks injunctive relief to address TikTok’s misconduct as well as monetary penalties.
In addition to Illinois’ lawsuit, 13 other states filed separate enforcement actions today against TikTok for violations of state consumer protection laws. In their lawsuits, Raoul and the attorneys general allege that TikTok’s business model, which seeks to capture as much user time and attention as possible to sell advertising, has targeted youth, including teenagers and even younger children, in ways that take advantage of them.
“American children and teenagers are in the grip of a devastating mental health crisis,” Raoul said. “The addictive features on TikTok’s social media platform interfere with sleep and education, and contribute to depression, anxiety, body dysmorphia and thoughts of self-harm. In Illinois, we will always put our children and young people first. I am committed to holding TikTok and any other social media companies accountable for putting profits ahead of our children’s safety and well-being.”
The U.S. surgeon general has found there are ample indicators that social media can have a profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents. Eighth and 10th graders now spend an average of three-and-a-half hours per day on social media. According to the surgeon general, adolescents who spend more than three hours on social media per day face double the risk of experiencing poor mental health outcomes, including symptoms of depression and anxiety.
The use of TikTok is pervasive among young people in the United States. In 2023, 63% of all Americans ages 13 to 17 who responded to a Pew Research survey reported using TikTok, and most teenagers in the U.S. used TikTok daily.
Raoul alleges that TikTok uses design features that are addictive and that exploit young users’ psychological vulnerabilities to keep them repeatedly using the platform for prolonged periods of time. Many of these product features have been linked to damaging psychological outcomes. According to the complaint filed by the Attorney General’s office, TikTok’s platform drives compulsive behavior, interfering with sleep and education, and includes features that can exacerbate issues young people have with depression, anxiety, body dysmorphia and thoughts of self-harm.
According to Raoul, TikTok is engaging in a scheme that falsely markets the platform as promoting young users’ safety and well-being, when, in actuality, the platform prioritizes TikTok’s pursuit of profits over young users’ safety and well-being. The lawsuit also notes that TikTok has additional mechanisms it could deploy to better protect young users on its platform, but the company has opted not to use them in the United States.
The lawsuit is part of the Attorney General’s ongoing efforts to protect children online and address the negative impacts of social media platforms on young Illinois residents. In October 2023, Raoul announced a lawsuit, backed by a bipartisan coalition of states, against Meta Platforms Inc., the company that owns and operates Facebook and Instagram, for promoting its social media platform to children and young adults despite its use being associated with physical and mental health harms.
Last month, Raoul joined a bipartisan coalition of 42 attorneys general calling on Congress to pass legislation requiring a U.S. surgeon general warning on all algorithm-driven social media platforms.
Attorneys general from the following states joined Attorney General Raoul today in filing separate enforcement actions against TikTok to hold it accountable for its role in the children's mental health crisis: California, the District of Columbia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, New Jersey, Oregon, South Carolina, Vermont and Washington.
As of today, 23 attorneys general have filed actions against TikTok for its conduct toward youth, including existing actions filed by the attorneys general of Utah, Nevada, Indiana, New Hampshire, Nebraska, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas and Texas.
Attorney General Raoul is reminding young people who are struggling that they are not alone and should talk to friends or trusted adults. Raoul urges individuals in crisis to call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or call 911.
