TikTok has been sued by 13 U.S. states (including New York, California) and DC, accused of harming younger users and fostering social media addiction

Thirteen U.S. states, along with the District of Columbia, filed lawsuits against TikTok on Tuesday, accusing the popular social media platform of harming and failing to protect young users.

The lawsuits, filed separately in New York, California, D.C., and 11 other states, broaden the legal battle between TikTok, owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, and U.S. regulators. These states are seeking financial penalties against the company.

The lawsuits claim that TikTok uses deliberately addictive software aimed at keeping children engaged for prolonged periods and falsely representing its content moderation efforts.

“TikTok fosters social media addiction to boost profits,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta in a statement. “The platform specifically targets kids, knowing that they lack the ability to set healthy limits on addictive content.”

The states argue that TikTok maximizes user engagement to increase ad revenue.

New York Attorney General Letitia James echoed these concerns, saying, "Young people are grappling with mental health challenges due to addictive platforms like TikTok."

In response, TikTok expressed strong disagreement with the accusations, calling many of them "inaccurate and misleading." The company said it was disappointed that the states opted for legal action instead of collaborating on "constructive solutions to industry-wide issues." TikTok highlighted its safety features, such as screen time limits and privacy settings for users under 16.

Additionally, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb accused TikTok of running an unlicensed money transmission business through its live streaming and virtual currency features. Schwalb added, “TikTok’s platform is dangerous by design, created to hook young users onto their screens.”