Iowa is the latest state to sue TikTok, claims the social media company misrepresents its content
DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa on Wednesday became the latest state to sue TikTok over claims that the social media company misleads consumers about the amount of “inappropriate content” children can access through the platform.
TikTok claims an age rating of 12 and older on app stores, which is a misrepresentation due to its “frequent and intense” adult and sexual content, Iowa claims in the lawsuit against TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance.
āTikTok managed to circumvent parental restrictions by misrepresenting the severity of the content,ā Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird said in a statement.
Utah, Arkansas and Indiana have filed similar lawsuits, although a judge dismissed Indiana’s lawsuit in November. Judges there ruled that downloading the free social media app TikTok does not amount to a consumer transaction under state law.
The U.S. Supreme Court will also decide whether state efforts to regulate social media platforms such as Facebook, X and TikTok are unconstitutional.
In late 2022, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds issued a ban on the use of TikTok on state-owned devices, as many have done, citing concerns about the security risk associated with its Chinese ownership.
Reynolds also proposed this year that the Republican-led Legislature pass a new law that would require age 18 and older verification for pornographic websites to limit teens’ access to the content, though social media websites , along with news websites and search engines, are exempt.
Bird’s lawsuit seeks to force TikTok to correct its statements, as well as financial civil penalties for the harm caused to Iowa consumers.
A TikTok spokesperson said the company has āsafeguards in place for young people, including parental controls and time limits for under-18sā and is committed to addressing what it described as āindustry-wide challengesā.