The Utah Division of Consumer Protection (UDCP) is suing TikTok, alleging the app's "addictive" nature harmed children and that TikTok deceptively concealed its relationship with Chinese parent company ByteDance. The state's lawsuit is the latest in a long and growing history of bans and legal actions by U.S. governments and organizations to curb TikTok's popularity, often motivated by espionage concerns.
In a press release announcing the lawsuit today, Utah Governor Spencer Cox accused the company of "misleading parents that its apps were safe for children." He said the app "unlawfully induces addictive and unhealthy use by children" and its features encourage young users to scroll endlessly in order to earn more advertising dollars.
The lawsuit accuses TikTok of violating the Utah Consumer Sales Practices Act (UCSPA) by enabling children to become addicted to and profiting from the app; making false statements about the safety of its app and the fairness of its policies, among other things; and claiming that it is based in the United States and not controlled by ByteDance from China.
TikTok faces similar challenges across the United States. Indiana made similar accusations to Utah in its lawsuit against TikTok last year. In June, a Maryland school district sued the company and other tech giants, accusing them of contributing to a "mental health crisis" among students. Montana passed a ban against TikTok in May, and TikTok is currently suing to overturn the ban.
In addition to TikTok, Utah passed a law this year requiring parents to get consent before their children use social media, a move that is part of a larger trend of censorship in the United States.
UDCP's lawsuit seeks a jury trial and asks a judge to "preliminarily or permanently enjoin TikTok from violating UCSPA and order the company to pay UDCP's legal fees, more than $300,000 in restitution and damages, and an additional $300,000 in civil penalties."
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