TikTok sex trafficking lawsuit overview:
- Who: The Utah Division of Consumer Protection filed a lawsuit against TikTok Inc.
- Why: Utah claims TikTok knowingly facilitates child sexual exploitation, sex trafficking and other illegal acts through its TikTok LIVE feature and virtual currency system.
- Where: The TikTok lawsuit was filed in the Third Judicial District Court Salt Lake County, Utah.
The Utah Division of Consumer Protection claims TikTok’s short-form video hosting service facilitates child sexual exploitation, sex trafficking and other illegal acts.
Utah argues TikTok uses “deceptive design features” and a virtual currency system to profit off the alleged child sex trafficking via its “TikTok LIVE” feature.
“For years, TikTok has profited from manipulative design features that contribute to the emotional, financial, and sexual exploitation of children,” the TikTok lawsuit says.
The TikTok LIVE feature allows users to stream themselves and interact with other users in real time, according to the TikTok lawsuit, which claims the feature allows adults to prey on children.
“Combined with TikTok’s virtual currency system, this feature allows adults to prey on children in many egregious ways, including by transacting with and soliciting sexual acts from minors,” the TikTok lawsuit says.
TikTok ‘turns blind eye’ to child sex trafficking, suit says
Utah argues TikTok is aware of these alleged dangers but simply chooses to “turn a blind eye” to the issue because its TikTok LIVE feature has made the company “very rich.”
Further, the state claims TikTok uses so-called “dark patterns” to keep users engaged for longer and encourages them to live stream and buy into its virtual currency system that is made to be “intentionally complex.”
“Children’s developing brains make them prime targets for dark patterns,” the TikTok lawsuit says. “Children are less able to make reasoned decisions and are more likely to act impulsively.”
Utah claims TikTok is violating the Utah Consumer Sales Practices Act. The state demands a jury trial and requests injunctive relief and an award of actual damages.
TikTok, along with the Department of Justice, were recently in the news last month after asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to fast-track a challenge on a proposal to ban TikTok from the U.S. market unless the company were to cut ties with the Chinese-owned ByteDance.
Do you believe the TikTok LIVE feature is akin to child sex trafficking? Let us know in the comments.
Utah is represented by Sean D. Reyes, Douglas Crapo, Peishen Zhou and Carina Wells of the Utah Office of the Attorney General and Jay Edelson, Roger Perlstadt, Theo Benjamin, Emily Penkowski Perez and Shantel Chapple Knowlton of Edelson PC.
The TikTok sex trafficking lawsuit is Utah Division of Consumer Protection v. TikTok Inc., in the Third Judicial District Court Salt Lake County, State of Utah.
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3 thoughts onUtah sues TikTok over claims it profits from child sex trafficking
Add me please
TikTok is certainly something that we can live without.
Please add me.