A national investigation into TikTok began in March 2022 by a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general from over a dozen states and the District of Columbia. Each state and district filed lawsuits in their respective state court, and the states included California, New York, New Jersey, and Kentucky. The states allege that TikTok’s app is harming children’s mental health and that it is designed to be addictive to kids. The platform’s algorithm is at the center of each state’s case. The states claim the algorithm and its “For You” feed and its design features, such as push notifications with built-in buzzes, the ability to scroll endlessly, and face filters, create unattainable appearances for children.

“It is profiting off the fact that it’s addicting young people to its platform,” DC Attorney General Brian Schwab said. In his suit, he called the algorithm “dopamine-inducing,” and it was created to be intentionally addictive so the company could trap young users into excessive use. In Schwab’s complaint, he wrote, “These behaviors will lead to profound psychological and physiological harms.” Some of those harms listed were depression, body dysmorphia, and anxiety.

In a reply to the lawsuits, TikTok spokesperson Alex Haurek said, “We strongly disagree with these claims, many of which we believe to be inaccurate and misleading. We’re proud of and remain deeply committed to the work we’ve done to protect teens, and we will continue to update and improve our product.” He went on to say, “We’ve endeavored to work with the Attorney General for over two years, and it is incredibly disappointing they have taken this step rather than work with us on constructive solutions.”