Numerous psychologists and studies from groups like Amnesty International and the Center for Countering Digital Hate say that TikTok’s platform design promotes self-harm, eating disorders, and other dangerous behavior onto app users. Amnesty International found that “TikTok’s very business model is inherently abusive and privileges engagement to keep users hooked on the platform.”   

Source: Department of Health and Human Services,

National Institute of Health, National Library of Medicine

On October 8, 2024, TikTok was hit with new lawsuits from 13 states and the District of Columbia claiming that the app knowingly harmed children and teens by designing addictive features. TikTok “chose addiction and more use and more eyeballs and more mental and physical harm for our young people in order to get profits,” said California Attorney General, Rob Bonta. These lawsuits add to a growing list of legal actions asserting that TikTok and other social media platforms are contributing to the mental health crisis among today’s adolescents.

At the end of January 2024, Congress demanded that the CEO of TikTok account for the way its platform hurts  children. One senator stated that social media companies like TikTok “have a product that’s killing people,” and another senator criticized TikTok for failing “to police themselves at our kids’ expense.” Families are increasingly aware that they’re not alone in their experiences but have yet to see any accountability. 

TikTok is designed to be addictive: Lisa Dittmer, Amnesty International Researcher, explains that “TikTok’s manipulative and addictive design practices,” are “designed to keep users engaged for as long as possible[…]The platform’s algorithmic content recommender system, credited with enabling the rapid global rise of the platform, exposes children and young adults with pre-existing mental health challenges to serious risks of harm.”  

The TikTok addiction lawsuits are not part of a class action lawsuit but are a group of individually filed cases known as a mass tort lawsuit. These are individual cases that share a common issue: children suffering injuries and harms from TikTok. Each person allegedly harmed by TikTok files their own individual case, but many victims share similar claims against TikTok.  

Parents are making their voices heard by joining the TikTok lawsuits. Young adults who were harmed by TikTok are also filing cases against the company. They recognize that it’s not their fault or their child’s fault, that they’re not alone, and that families can do something to hold TikTok accountable. They are seeking justice and trying to ensure that no child is harmed again.  

Discussing your or your child’s physical and mental health can be incredibly tough. Contact our trauma-informed legal team to confidentially discuss the best options for you and your family. Consultation calls are entirely free and confidential.  

Gibbs Mura, A Law Group,  is trailblazing the fight to hold social media companies accountable for the harm they cause. Our lawyers represent 300+ families whose children were harmed by social media companies, as well as young adults grappling with the effects of social media addiction. 

Social media platforms claimed that they were immune from certain legal claims and argued that these lawsuits should be dismissed, but our law firm successfully argued that the lawsuits should be allowed to move forward. The federal and state court judges overseeing the case agreed, allowing the lawsuits to move forward. These legal victories were featured in BBC, Bloomberg Law, Reuters, The Verge, and more.