Arizona says TikTok addicts teen users in new consumer fraud suit
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes sued TikTok on Thursday, alleging the platform intentionally designed features like auto-play, push notifications and appearance-altering filters to hook minors, including children under 13. The complaint, filed in Maricopa County Superior Court, accuses TikTok of concealing mental and physical health risks and failing to stop circulation of child sexual abuse material through 'post-in-private' accounts.
Mayes says TikTok's advertised 60-minute screen time limit is easily disabled and its age verification inadequate, and claims the company withheld safety features from some users for undisclosed 'placebo testing.' TikTok has already settled with Alabama for $100 million over similar claims, agreeing to a two-hour daily teen limit and a ban on beauty filters for minors, but has not joined the broader multistate settlement Meta reached in August.
A TikTok spokesperson denied the allegations, calling the suit misleading and promising a vigorous defense. Mayes seeks injunctive relief, disgorgement of profits, and up to $10,000 per willful violation, a number that could climb fast given the scale of alleged violations.
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