US state of Indiana sues TikTok, alleging Chinese access to user data
- In what may be the first such lawsuit by a US state, the popular video-sharing app is also accused of exposing children to mature content
- TikTok has been the target of recent bans in Maryland and South Dakota; FBI chief Chris Wray has raised national security concerns over the app’s US operations
Indiana sued Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok on Wednesday over allegations that it is deceiving users about China’s access to their data and exposing children to mature content.
The office of Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, a Republican, said the popular app, owned by ByteDance, violates the state’s consumer protection laws by not disclosing the Chinese government’s potential to access sensitive consumer information.
TikTok also deceived young users and their parents with its age rating of 12-plus in Apple’s and Google’s app stores, Rokita’s office said in a complaint filed on Wednesday. The complaint added that inappropriate sexual and substance-related content can easily be found and are pushed by the company to children using TikTok.
Indiana said its actions were the first of its kind by a US state. Rokita is seeking emergency injunctive relief and civil penalties against the company.
A spokesperson for the video sharing app said it did not have a comment on the pending litigation.
The legal action was first reported by The New York Times.