Utah Sues Tiktok For Getting Children ‘Addicted’ To Its Algorithm
Arthur T Knackerbracket has processed the following story:
Utah's Division of Consumer Protection (UDCP) is suing TikTok over allegations that the app's addictive nature" harms children and that TikTok deceptively obscures its relationship with ByteDance, its parent company in China. The state's lawsuit is the latest in a long-and-growing string of bans and legal action from US-based governments and organizations to rein in TikTok's popularity, generally on espionage fears.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox accused the company of misleading parents that its app is safe for children" in a press release announcing the lawsuit today. He said the app illegally baits children into addictive and unhealthy use" with features that encourage young users to scroll endlessly in order to make more advertising money.
The lawsuit alleges that TikTok violates the Utah Consumer Sales Practices Act (UCSPA) by making the app addictive to children and profiting from it; misrepresenting things like the safety of its app and fairness of its policies; and claiming that it's based in the US and not controlled from China by ByteDance.
[...] Beyond TikTok, Utah also passed a law this year requiring parents to consent before their children can use social media, in a move that's part of a larger censorship trend in the United States.
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