Following a lawsuit filed by 12 U.S. states and the District of Columbia against TikTok for allegedly harming the mental health of younger users, former Vice President Mike Pence likened the social media platform to a prescription opioid.
“TikTok is digital fentanyl, addictive to our kids and a threat to the privacy and security of the American people,” said Pence in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday. “Great to see state Attorney Generals from across the country taking action to protect our kids from the harmful effects of China’s TikTok.”
Pence was referring to the news that more than a dozen U.S. state attorneys general filed lawsuits on Tuesday, alleging that the video-sharing platform is designed to be addictive to children and is harming their mental health.
Newsweek reached out to TikTok via email for comment.
The bipartisan coalition argues that TikTok’s features and algorithms have detrimental effects on teens and young users, exacerbating issues like anxiety, depression and body dysmorphia.
TikTok, owned by China-based ByteDance, expressed disappointment over the lawsuits, stating that the company has been working with the attorneys general for two years to address these issues.
“We strongly disagree with these claims, many of which we believe to be inaccurate and misleading,” said TikTok spokesperson Alex Haurek. “We’re proud of and remain deeply committed to the work we’ve done to protect teens, and we will continue to update and improve our product.”
The lawsuit, filed in state courts across the country, stems from a national investigation launched in March 2022 by attorneys general from states including New York, California, Kentucky, and New Jersey. The legal action centers on TikTok’s algorithm, which curates the “For You” feed by promoting content tailored to individual interests, often leading to excessive screen time among young users.
“They’ve chosen profit over the health and safety, well-being, and future of our children,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta at a news conference in San Francisco. “And that is not something we can accept. So we’ve sued.”
The lawsuit was co-led by Bonta and New York Attorney General Letitia James, who said in a statement on October 8 that “in New York and across the country, young people have died or gotten injured doing dangerous TikTok challenges and many more are feeling more sad, anxious, and depressed because of TikTok’s addictive features.”
TikTok headquarters in Singapore as seen on September 7, 2023. Former Vice President Mike Pence likened using TikTok to taking fentanyl.
Roslan RAHMAN / AFP/Getty Images
The lawsuit highlights specific features that it claims are intentionally designed to keep children engaged, including endless scrolling—the ability to scroll indefinitely through content that keeps users on the platform longer.
It also points out that push notifications with built-in “buzzes” encourage immediate engagement, while face filters alter appearances with the effect of contributing to unrealistic beauty standards and body image issues.
The complaints were filed individually in state courts but stem from a national investigation launched in March 2022.
The legal challenges seek to stop TikTok from using these features, impose financial penalties for their alleged illegal practices, and collect damages for users who have been harmed.
In the District of Columbia’s filing, Attorney General Brian Schwalb accused TikTok of employing a “dopamine-inducing” algorithm designed to “trap many young users into excessive use and keep them on its app for hours on end.”
“Keeping people on the platform is how they generate massive ad revenue,” Schwalb said in an interview, according to the Associated Press. “But unfortunately, that’s also how they generate adverse mental health impacts on the users.”
These lawsuits follow a related one filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on October 3. That lawsuit alleges that the social media giant violated a new state law, the Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment Act (SCOPE), designed to protect children online from improper handling of minors’ personal data.
