Another state is suing TikTok; where does Kentucky's lawsuit stand?
– 2 min read
Minnesota has joined a number of states, including Kentucky, to sue the social media company for preying on young people with addictive algorithms that trap them into becoming compulsive consumers of its short videos.
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On Tuesday, Minnesota state leaders filed a lawsuit in state court, alleging TikTok is violating Minnesota laws against deceptive trade practices and consumer fraud.
“This isn’t about free speech. I’m sure they’re gonna holler that," Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said at a news conference. "It’s actually about deception, manipulation, misrepresentation. This is about a company knowing the dangers, and the dangerous effects of its product, but making and taking no steps to mitigate those harms or inform users of the risks.”
The lawsuit from Minnesota marks the 24th from US states taking aim at the social media giant, including Kentucky.
Where does Kentucky's lawsuit stand?
Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman filed a lawsuit on behalf of the commonwealth in October of 2024, saying that the short-form video app is designed to be addictive to kids and harms their mental health. The lawsuit was filed in Scott County Circuit Court.
His lawsuit came at the same time as about a dozen others, all stemming from a national investigation into the app.
The lawsuits stem from a national investigation into TikTok, which was launched in March 2022 by a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general from many states, including New York, California, Kentucky and New Jersey. All of the complaints were filed in state courts.
The lawsuit alleges:
- TikTok was "specifically designed to be an addiction machine, targeting children who are still in the process of developing appropriate self-control"
- TikTok determined the precise amount of viewing it takes for someone to form a habit: 260 videos, and "in under 35 minutes, an average user is likely to become addicted to the platform"
- The company's safety measures were largely ineffective
- Coleman's office asked the court to find that TikTok has violated the Kentucky Consumer Protection Act and award the state up to $2,000 for every violation
The lawsuit is currently proceeding through Kentucky's state court system, though specific documents and details cannot be accessed after Coleman asked a judge to seal the case.
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