The suit by Jason Miyares alleges the app was intentionally designed to be addictive for teenagers and that it obscures its connection to the Chinese government.
RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares sued TikTok and its parent company ByteDance in Richmond Circuit Court on Friday.
The lawsuit alleges TikTok was “intentionally designed” to be addicting to teenagers, and that it deceived parents about TikTok’s content, including when it claimed the app is appropriate for children over the age of 12 or rated T for Teen, which is in violation of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act.
The lawsuit also claims TikTok “mislead the public regarding the app’s connection to and potential for abuse by the Chinese government and Communist Party.”
Miyares said, “For years, TikTok has marketed itself to Virginians and Americans alike as a harmless, safe, and enjoyable social media app. Yet the facts of the matter are …