NH AG: TikTok Is Harming Child Mental Health, Well-Being, Lawsuit Says

CONCORD, NH — New Hampshire’s attorney general has filed a deceptive acts lawsuit against a popular social media app, accusing the company of harming the mental health and well-being of children.

The NH AG’s Office filed the 119-page lawsuit in Merrimack County Superior Court Tuesday, claiming TikTok Inc. violated state laws, including its consumer protection statute. Officials said TikTok has “addictive features” that “exploit young users’ naivete and ongoing brain development and maximize the time young users spend on the platform in the interest of profit.” The company’s “addictive design features” make it hard for kids to “disengage from the platform and lead to a cycle of excessive use.” The lawsuit stated the company knew about the issues as well as the “profound harm to its young users.” Issues include “depression, anxiety, and isolation from friends and family.” Investigators also alleged the company lied to parents about the safety of its platform, downplayed risks, and touted “supposed safety measures that the company knows are ineffective.”

The filing included documents about “deceptive representations” the company made to Granite Staters. It was accused of misleading users about the ineffectiveness of its safety protocols, the collection of personal data from children under 13, and the company’s “exercises to avoid” regulations and scrutiny.

John Formella, the attorney general, said the company “shamelessly exploited” children, including in New Hampshire, while ignoring the vulnerabilities of its youngest users.

“This action underscores our commitment to holding social media platforms accountable for their harmful actions to youth,” he said. “We will vigorously pursue this case to ensure that TikTok is held responsible and that meaningful changes are made to protect our children's well-being. This lawsuit is just the latest step in our ongoing efforts to ensure that platforms like TikTok operate responsibly and transparently in our state.”

Gov. Chris Sununu said the lawsuit, as well as an earlier executive order investigating social media, harms to young people, showed officials in New Hampshire “put our kids first” and said it was “another wakeup call for parents on the dangers that social media presents to our kids.”

TikTok, through a spokesperson, offered the following statement: “TikTok has industry-leading safeguards to support teens' well-being, including age-restricted features, parental controls, an automatic 60-minute time limit for people under 18, and more. We will continue working to address these industry-wide challenges.”

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