Tik Tok App Sued For Security And Child Support Violations
TikTok was hit Wednesday with a brace of lawsuits from the US state of Indiana, which defamed it of composing misleading petitions about the Chinese-owned app's safety for children.
The legal salvo came as complications are increasing for TikTok in the United States, with several complaints that the extremely popular app is a national security threat and a conduit for spying by China.
In a statement, Attorney General Todd Rokita said that the TikTok app is a malicious and menacing threat unleashed on unsuspecting Indiana consumers by a Chinese company that knows full well the harms it inflicts on users.
The lawsuit said TikTok algorithms served up "abundant content depicting alcohol, tobacco, and drugs; sexual content, nudity, and suggestive themes" to users as young as 13.
TikTok was also faulted for allegedly cheating consumers that the reams of highly sensitive data and personal information were protected from the Chinese government.
A TikTok spokesperson did not give any remark on the case but said that the safety, privacy, and security of the community is a top priority.
The company said that they build youth well-being into their policies, empower parental tools and resourses ,limit features by age and continue to invest in new ways to enjoy content based on age-appropriateness or family comfort.
TikTok is withstanding a growing front of opposition in the United States, with several states and the US military prohibiting the use of the app on government devices.
Texas on Wednesday became the latest state to do so, calling for "aggressive action" against TikTok.
The trendy app is often singled out for its alleged connections to the Beijing government with fears that China is able to use TikTok's data to track and coerce users around the world.
TikTok is presently in discussion with the US government to settle national security concerns, looking forward to maintain it's efforts in one of its biggest markets.
With once soaring ad revenues taking a hit, the remarkable success of TikTok has seen competing sites like Meta-owned Instagram and Snapchat attempt to emulate.
Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray however told lawmakers last month that he is extremely concerned about security risks associated to TikTok.
BY NOELLA OUKO
