DES MOINES, Iowa– Iowa on Wednesday became the latest state to sue TikTok over claims that the social media company misleads consumers about the amount of “inappropriate content” children can access through the platform.
TikTok claims to have an age rating of 12 or older in app stores, which is misrepresented due to “frequent and intense” sexual and mature content, Iowa claims in the lawsuit against TikTok and its Chinese parent company, ByteDance.
“TikTok has bypassed parental blocks by misrepresenting the seriousness of its content,” Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird said in a statement.
Utah, Arkansas and Indiana have filed similar lawsuits, although a judge dismissed Indiana’s lawsuit in November. The judges ruled that downloading the free social media app TikTok does not constitute a consumer transaction under state law.
The U.S. Supreme Court will also decide whether state attempts to regulate social media platforms like Facebook, X and TikTok violate the Constitution.
In late 2022, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds banned the use of TikTok on state devices, as many have done, out of concern about the security risk related to its Chinese ownership.
Reynolds also proposed this year that the Republican-led Legislature adopt a new law that would require age verification of 18 or older for pornography websites to reduce teens’ access to content, although social media websites , along with news websites and search engines, would be exempt.
Bird’s lawsuit seeks to force TikTok to correct its statements, as well as civil financial penalties for the harm caused to Iowa consumers.
A TikTok spokesperson said the company has “safeguards for youth, including parental controls and time limits for those under 18” and is committed to addressing what it described as “industry-wide challenges.”