Social media network TikTok has been hit by two lawsuits from the US state of Indiana, accusing the app of making false claims around its safety for children.
According to Security Week, the legal salvo came as problems mount for the platform in the US, with multiple accusations that the app is a national security threat and a conduit for spying by China.
Attorney General Todd Rokita said, “The TikTok app is a malicious and menacing threat unleashed on unsuspecting Indiana consumers by a Chinese company that knows full well the harms it inflicts on users.”
The lawsuit said that TikTok algorithms served up ‘abundant content depicting alcohol, tobacco and drugs, sexual content, nudity and suggestive themes’ to users as young as 13.
Indiana also sued TikTok for allegedly deceiving customers into believing that ‘reams of highly sensitive data and personal information’ was protected from the Chinese government.
A TikTok spokesperson did not comment specifically on the case but said “the safety, privacy and security of our community is our top priority.”
“We build youth well-being into our policies, limit features by age, empower parents with tools and resources, and continue to invest in new ways to enjoy content based on age-appropriateness or family comfort.”
Earlier this year, leaders of the US Senate Committee called for an investigation into whether Chinese officials are getting access to US user data from TikTok.
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