Common Sense Media Responds to Multi-State Lawsuit Against TikTok Over Harms To Children
SAN FRANCISCO, October 8, 2024 – Common Sense Media Chief Advocacy Officer Danny Weiss issued the following comment in response to news reports that lawsuits are being filed today by 13 states and the District of Columbia alleging that TikTok's addictive features are causing direct harm to young users.
"The new lawsuits against TikTok demonstrate that the Attorneys General are once again using the power of their offices to protect children online by focusing on design features that are known to be harmful to kids and teens.
"We have argued for years, as have our allies in the states and in Congress, that it is precisely the design features of social media platforms – the addictive algorithms, autoplay of videos, constant notifications, and more – that cause children and teens to spend far too much time on their devices and drive kids to unwanted places online, resulting in mental, physical, and sometimes deadly, harm.
"The threat of social media to young people has been well documented and acknowledged across all branches of government. From multi-state lawsuits against Meta filed last year to the ones being filed today against TikTok that seek damages for harms already caused to kids. Meanwhile, states like New York and California just passed historic laws this year to stop addictive harms. Now, we need Congress to finally pass laws to protect kids and teens from future harm, by passing the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and the Children and Teens Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0). The U.S. Senate passed strong versions of these bills overwhelmingly in July, and the House of Representatives is obligated to act now.
"Momentum is clearly building to make the internet healthier and safer for kids, and we believe the real solution lies in a joint approach, using the courts, passing new laws, educating parents, caregivers, and kids themselves, while also working directly with companies to bring about needed changes to the way they design and operate their platforms. We can do this. And we must do this, for the safety and well being of all children."
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