Oregon among 14 states suing TikTok, alleging consumer protection violations, ‘addicting Oregon’s youth’

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum announced Tuesday that Oregon is joining a bipartisan coalition of 14 state attorneys general in filing separate enforcement actions against TikTok for violations of state consumer protection laws.

Oregon’s action, which will be filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court on Wednesday, alleges that TikTok exploits and harms young users and deceives the public about the social media platform’s dangers.

“Social media companies, out of basic greed, intentionally design their platforms to addict users and keep them scrolling. The more time users spend on the platform, the more money in Tik Tok’s pockets! Tragically, it is our youth who are most harmed by these predatory practices,” said AG Rosenblum, who as President of the National Association of Attorneys General has focused her presidential initiative on looking out for America’s next generation.

“From depression and self-harm rates, to impacts on sleep, physical health and emotional well-being, we have a responsibility to look at what’s happening to our youth and hold tech companies accountable.”

Use of TikTok is pervasive among young people in the United States. In 2023, 63% of all Americans aged 13 to 17 who responded to a Pew Research survey reported using TikTok, and most teenagers in the U.S. were using TikTok daily.  In this lawsuit, Attorney General Rosenblum alleges TikTok violated Oregon’s consumer protection statutes, the Unlawful Trade Practices Act, ORS 646.605 et seq.

To address TikTok’s misconduct, the action seeks an injunction halting the violations, disgorgement of profits, penalties of up to $25,000 per violation, and attorneys’ fees. As alleged in the complaint, TikTok’s misconduct arises from its underlying business model that focuses on maximizing young users’ time on the TikTok platform to enable the company to boost revenue from selling targeted advertising space. TikTok’s misconduct includes:

• Deploying a content-recommendation system designed to be addictive to maximize the time young users spend on the platform.
• Using manipulative features to exploit children’s psychological vulnerabilities and are deployed to keep kids and teens on the platform for longer.
• Engaging in a scheme that deceptively markets the platform and platform features as promoting young users’ safety and well-being.

Attorneys general from the following states join Oregon in filing separate enforcement actions against TikTok to hold it accountable for its role in the nationwide youth mental health crisis: California, New York, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Jersey, South Carolina, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia.

As of Tuesday, 23 state attorneys general have filed actions against TikTok, including existing actions filed by Utah, Nevada, Indiana, New Hampshire, Nebraska, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, and Texas.