Hawaii is suing TikTok’s parent company ByteDance, claiming the social media platform was deliberately designed to be addictive and harmful to children’s mental health.
Gov. Josh Green (D-HI) said the app fosters an environment where “addiction and anxiety thrive.”
In a 106-page complaint filed in the state’s First Circuit Court, officials allege that TikTok uses tactics similar to those found in gambling to keep kids hooked.
Designed to Keep Users Hooked
“TikTok has long known about the mental health risks its platform poses, particularly on our children and young adults,” said Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez.
The lawsuit says ByteDance engineers TikTok’s features, like the ‘For You’ feed, autoplay, endless scrolling, push notifications, and like functions, to maximize time spent on the app.
Each extra minute users spend on the platform generates more ad revenue and personal data, according to the complaint.
But more than that, Hawaii alleges that TikTok was built to manipulate dopamine production in a way that mirrors how slot machines work.
That impact, the state says, is especially harmful to children, who are more vulnerable due to their still-developing ability to regulate screen time.
Millions of Young Users
The complaint also states that a significant portion of TikTok’s audience is under 18, with internal records allegedly showing that millions of users are under 13.
TikTok has previously been sued by the U.S. government for violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, but Hawaii argues the company continues to fail in protecting young users and being transparent about potential risks.
Weak Protections and Global Double Standard
The lawsuit accuses TikTok of offering inadequate age verification and intentionally exploiting minors for profit.
And according to Hawaii, it’s not just about how addictive the platform is, it’s also about the kind of content kids are being fed.
French President Emmanuel Macron recently accused China of offering its own children a more educational version of TikTok while exporting a low-quality, entertainment-heavy version to the rest of the world.
Speaking on Nov. 19, Macron said, “Their version of TikTok… is limited to a set number of hours per day, and the content shown to children is entirely educational.”
Macron described this disparity as part of a “cognitive war,” claiming that China aims to export content that “dulls young minds” while keeping enriching content for its domestic audience.
A fact-check by Euronews found that China’s version of TikTok, called Douyin, does indeed feature educational videos for kids, with hard limits like a 40-minute daily screen time cap and restricted nighttime access.
In contrast, TikTok’s version for kids under 14, available only in the U.S., focuses more on recreational content like viral dances and comedy skits.
TikTok Responds
TikTok pushed back against Hawaii’s lawsuit, calling the claims “misleading and inaccurate.”
In a statement to FOX Business, the company said it has invested billions into safety measures and now offers more than 50 settings related to privacy and screen time for teen users.
Still, Hawaii officials argue that those efforts fall short.
“We must and ensure that the necessary reforms are put in place to protect our communities from exploitation,” Lopez said.
The lawsuit is one of several across the U.S. accusing TikTok of endangering minors through its design and business model.
Hawaii is seeking to force TikTok to stop its alleged harmful practices, add meaningful protections for children, and clearly disclose the risks tied to its platform.
Law firms Starn O’Toole Marcus and Fisher and Keller Rohrback LLP are serving as special deputy attorneys general in the case.