Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall has filed a lawsuit against TikTok Inc. and its parent company, ByteDance Inc., accusing the social media platform of harming children's mental health and misleading families about user safety.
Filed in Montgomery County Circuit Court, the lawsuit claims that TikTok's algorithm is designed to keep teens endlessly scrolling while exposing them to harmful content.
"TikTok preys on young people, feeding them dangerous and damaging content while lying to parents about how safe the app really is," Marshall said in a public statement.
According to the lawsuit, the app promotes videos that may encourage depression, eating disorders, drug use, and even self-harm.
According to News19, the suit says TikTok's safety features — like 'Kids Mode,' 'Restricted Mode,' and screen time limits — are easy for children to bypass and don't truly protect users under 18.
TikTok, popular for short, viral videos, is used by millions of teens daily. Its algorithm curates a "For You Page" based on a user's viewing habits, often leading to long, repeated use. Alabama's legal team argues this design is meant to addict young users for profit.
Alabama Attorney General Files Lawsuit Against TikTok Over Allegations of Youth Exploitation and Deceptive Practiceshttps://t.co/4aoJDMeRe4 pic.twitter.com/RmH55LEQJ5
— Calhoun Journal (@calhounjournal) April 30, 2025
Alabama Claims TikTok Targets Kids, Demands Court Action
The lawsuit also raises national security concerns, saying ByteDance could be sharing user data with the Chinese government. "Over one-third of TikTok's daily users in the US are fourteen or younger," Marshall added. "That's not by chance — it's by design."
The state of Alabama is requesting that the court impose civil penalties in accordance with the provisions of its Deceptive Trade Practices Act, USA Today said.
In addition to civil penalties, Alabama is seeking punitive damages and a court order requiring TikTok to cease what the state describes as "deceptive practices" concerning youth protection and user privacy.
In response, a TikTok spokesperson told News 19, "This lawsuit is based on misleading and inaccurate claims that fail to recognize the industry-leading measures TikTok has voluntarily implemented."
The company says it has made teen accounts private by default, limits screen time, and allows parents to supervise content through Family Pairing tools.
Despite these efforts, Attorney General Marshall insists the platform's "safety features" are not enough. "Alabama families deserve the truth," he said. "We will make sure they get it."
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