Miyares sues TikTok, claims app was ‘designed to be addictive’ to kids

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Attorney General Jason Miyares is suing TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, Ltd., claiming -- among other things -- that the app is "intentionally designed to be addictive" to children. On Friday, Jan. 17, Miyares filed this lawsuit in the Richmond City Circuit Court, according to a press release from his office. Within it, he made multiple allegations about TikTok's algorithm, its content and the intentions of its owners. The suit's first allegation is that TikTok "was intentionally designed to be addictive for adolescent users." Its second one ties into that concept, with Miyares claiming that the companies associated with TikTok "deceived parents and Virginians about TikTok's content, including claiming that the app is appropriate for children over the age of 12." According to Miyares, this violates the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. Not Guilty, Sentenced to Life: ‘Waverly Two’ gets to go home after decades as Biden grants clemency Finally, Miyares "also seeks to hold TikTok accountable for misleading the public regarding the app’s connection to and potential for abuse by the Chinese government and Communist Party." ByteDance and those associated with TikTok have consistently denied that any American user data collected by TikTok could be exploited by the Chinese government. Miyares previously filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court, supporting the federal measure meant to ban TikTok from American app stores unless ByteDance sold it. According to his office, Miyares is happy with the court's decision to uphold that law, which it made on Friday.

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Attorney General Jason Miyares is suing TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, Ltd., claiming -- among other things -- that the app is "intentionally designed to be addictive" to children.

On Friday, Jan. 17, Miyares filed this lawsuit in the Richmond City Circuit Court, according to a press release from his office. Within it, he made multiple allegations about TikTok's algorithm, its content and the intentions of its owners.

The suit's first allegation is that TikTok "was intentionally designed to be addictive for adolescent users."

Its second one ties into that concept, with Miyares claiming that the companies associated with TikTok "deceived parents and Virginians about TikTok's content, including claiming that the app is appropriate for children over the age of 12." According to Miyares, this violates the Virginia Consumer Protection Act.

Not Guilty, Sentenced to Life: ‘Waverly Two’ gets to go home after decades as Biden grants clemency

Finally, Miyares "also seeks to hold TikTok accountable for misleading the public regarding the app’s connection to and potential for abuse by the Chinese government and Communist Party."

ByteDance and those associated with TikTok have consistently denied that any American user data collected by TikTok could be exploited by the Chinese government.

Miyares previously filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court, supporting the federal measure meant to ban TikTok from American app stores unless ByteDance sold it. According to his office, Miyares is happy with the court's decision to uphold that law, which it made on Friday.