Iowa sues TikTok alleging parents misled about inappropriate content
Iowa‘s attorney general on Wednesday suedΜύ°ΥΎ±°μ°Υ΄Η°μ, accusing the video-based social media platform of misleadingΜύ±θ²Ή°ω±π²Τ³Ω²υΜύ²Ή²ϊ΄Η³ά³ΩΜύtheir children’s access toΜύΎ±²Τ²Ή±θ±θ°ω΄Η±θ°ωΎ±²Ή³Ω±πΜύ³¦΄Η²Τ³Ω±π²Τ³ΩΜύon the company’s app.
±υ΄Η·Ι²ΉΜύAttorney General Brenna Bird in aΒ Β filed in a state court in Polk County accusedΜύ°ΥΎ±°μ°Υ΄Η°μΒ and its Chinese parent company ByteDance of lyingΒ ²Ή²ϊ΄Η³ά³ΩΜύthe prevalenceΒ on its platform ofΒ ³¦΄Η²Τ³Ω±π²Τ³ΩΜύΎ±²Τ³¦±τ³ά»εΎ±²Τ²΅Μύdrugs, nudity, alcohol and profanity.
“°ΥΎ±°μ°Υ΄Η°μΜύhas keptΜύ±θ²Ή°ω±π²Τ³Ω²υΜύin the dark,β Ms. Bird, a Republican, said. “Itβs time we shine a light onΜύ°ΥΎ±°μ°Υ΄Η°μΒ for exposing young children to graphic materials such as sexualΜύ³¦΄Η²Τ³Ω±π²Τ³Ω, self-harm, illegal drug use, and worse.”
΄‘±τ±τ±π²΅Ύ±²Τ²΅Μύconsumer fraud,Β ±υ΄Η·Ι²ΉΜύis seeking financial penalties and an order barring ByteDance-ownedΜύ°ΥΎ±°μ°Υ΄Η°μΒ from engaging in deceptive and unfair conduct.
°ΥΎ±°μ°Υ΄Η°μΜύsaid it “has industry leading safeguards in place for young people, including parental controls and time limits for those under 18. We are committed to tackling industry wide challenges and will continue to prioritize community safety.”
It was the latest lawsuit by a US state againstΜύ°ΥΎ±°μ°Υ΄Η°μ, which along withΒ other social media companiesΒ faces globally toΒ protect children from harmfulΜύ³¦΄Η²Τ³Ω±π²Τ³Ω.
States including Arkansas andΒ Β have filed similar cases. A judge in Indiana in November dismissed a lawsuit againstΜύ°ΥΎ±°μ°Υ΄Η°μΒ by that state’s attorney general. Other states areΒ
On Jan. 2, Montana said it was appealing a decision by a US judge in November to block Montana’s first-of-its kind state ban on use ofΜύ°ΥΎ±°μ°Υ΄Η°μ.
Montana’s ban had been set to take effect Jan. 1 but US District Judge Donald Molloy on Nov. 30 issued a preliminary injunction to block the ban, saying Montana’s law “violates the Constitution in more ways than one” and “oversteps state power.”
°ΥΎ±°μ°Υ΄Η°μΜύCEO Shou Zi ChewΒ testifying on Jan. 31 before the US Senate Judiciary Committee on online child sexual exploitation. – Reuters
