US State Attorneys General v. TikTok Inc.

Summary

California and New York State Attorneys General Letitia James and Robert Bonta co-led a bipartisan coalition of 14 attorneys general in suing TikTok for "misleading the public about the safety of its platform and harming young people’s mental health." The suits, filed separately by the attorney general of each state, are broadly seeking injunctive relief against TikTok for its alleged harmful practices and asking the courts to impose significant financial penalties against the video-sharing platform.

While each lawsuit relies on a legal approach tailored to meet the requirements of its relevant state laws, the overarching allegations rest on the unfair and deceptive actions TikTok allegedly has taken in violation of state consumer protection laws. For instance, Massachusetts claims TikTok's misleading actions have resulted in a public nuisance to the people in its jurisdiction, while New York claims TikTok's "false advertising" is in violation of the state's general business law.

The coalition of attorneys general who joined California and New York includes Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia.

Updates

October 9, 2024. Under an emergency motion, the Kentucky complaint was sealed entirely by a state judge after the attorney general's office mistakenly filed a version of the suit in which the public could access information under the redactions. The court said it was "to ensure that any settlement documents and related information, confidential commercial and trade secret information, and other protected information was not improperly disseminated."