TikTok hit with lawsuit from state government for “deceiving” parents

TikTok has been hit with a lawsuit from the state of Iowa over the platforms age rating, claiming that its “deceiving” parents when it comes to content inside the app.

Over the last few years, many US goverment officials — both state and federal — have issued complaints against TikTok with some even filing lawsuits against the company.

Some have even tried to ban the app, with the state of Montana attempting to do so back in mid 2023.

Now, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird has filed a lawsuit against TikTok for “deceiving” parents with an incorrect app store age rating.

Iowa files lawsuit against TikTok

The Iowa Department of Justice revealed the reasoning behind the lawsuit in a press release on January 17, 2024.

“Today, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird sued TikTok for deceiving Iowans, particularly parents, by lying about children’s widespread access to inappropriate content on its social-media app,” it reads.

The lawsuit explains that Iowa believes TikTok has given the app an age rating that is lower than it should be compared to the content shared on the app.

Unsplash: Solen Feyissa

“It’s time we shine a light on TikTok for exposing young children to graphic materials such as sexual content, self-harm, illegal drug use, and worse. TikTok has sneaked past parental blocks by misrepresenting the severity of its content,” said Attorney General Bird.

“But no longer. As a mom and prosecutor, I am committed to equipping parents with information to keep their kids safe and to holding TikTok accountable.”

Neither TikTok nor its parent company Bytedance have responded to the lawsuit, but we’ll be sure to update you if they do.