HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday sued TikTok this week, alleging the social media company misrepresents the prevalence of mature content to maintain an age-13+ app-store rating while using design features that encourage prolonged use by children.
The complaint, filed in Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, seeks declaratory and injunctive relief that would require TikTok Inc. to change representations about its platform and take steps aimed at protecting younger users from excessive use.
The Attorney General’s Office alleges TikTok understates how frequently users encounter material involving sexual content and nudity, profanity and drug use. According to the complaint, those representations allow the platform to retain a 13+ rating in app stores despite content the state contends is inappropriate for younger users.
The lawsuit also targets TikTok’s platform design, alleging features that promote continuous or “endless” scrolling are deliberately structured to keep users engaged longer. The state contends TikTok financially benefits from increased engagement because additional time on the platform generates more advertising revenue.
Pennsylvania further alleges TikTok knows its platform can encourage compulsive use among children and is aware of safeguards that could limit that behavior but has failed to adequately implement them.
“TikTok has built its empire based on a model of addictiveness at all costs, and expanded that empire using deception about what sort of content is viewable for kids,” Sunday said.
Sunday discussed the lawsuit publicly Tuesday and pointed to conversations with students during teenTALK events held during the previous school year. He said some students described feeling trapped by their use of TikTok.
The allegations have potentially broad implications because of TikTok’s reach among younger Americans. Citing Pew Research Center data, the Attorney General’s Office reported that more than two-thirds of U.S. teenagers ages 13 to 17 use TikTok and more than one in five report using the platform “almost constantly.”
The state also cited nearly 100 million daily TikTok users in the United States.
The filing adds TikTok to a broader series of actions by Sunday’s office involving technology companies and potential risks to children. The attorney general sent demand letters to artificial intelligence companies last year concerning allegedly harmful chatbots and remains involved in litigation against Meta.
Sunday has also worked with Pennsylvania lawmakers on potential legislation addressing technology-related protections for residents.
The claims against TikTok are allegations contained in a civil complaint and have not been adjudicated.
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