US state of Iowa sues TikTok for keeping ‘parents in the dark’ about prevalence of inappropriate content

Iowa’s attorney general on Wednesday sued TikTok, accusing the video-based social media platform of misleading parents about their children’s access to inappropriate content on the company’s app.

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird in a lawsuit filed in a state court in Polk County accused TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance of lying about the prevalence on its platform of content including drugs, nudity, alcohol and profanity.

“TikTok has kept parents in the dark,” Bird, a Republican, said. “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.”

Alleging consumer fraud, Iowa is seeking financial penalties and an order barring TikTok from engaging in deceptive and unfair conduct.

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TikTok said it “has industry-leading safeguards in place for young people, including parental controls and time limits for those under 18. We are committed to tackling industry wide challenges and will continue to prioritise community safety.”

It was the latest lawsuit by a US state against TikTok, which along with other social media companies faces pressure from regulators globally to protect children from harmful content.

States including Arkansas and Utah have filed similar cases. A judge in Indiana in November dismissed a lawsuit against TikTok by that state’s attorney general. Other states are investigating.