In his initial complaint, Attorney General Todd Rokita charged TikTok with misleading parents about the prevalence of sexual and drug-related content accessible to young users of the app. In a second complaint, Rokita's office said that TikTok, controlled by a Chinese corporation, misled its users about whether or not the Chinese government had access to their personal data.
The Chinese company that created the TikTok app is aware of the issues it creates for its users, but has nonetheless launched it, according to a statement from Rokita that was made public on Wednesday. We brought these legal actions to persuade TikTok to stop engaging in deceptive and illegal business activities in Indiana.
Although the company declines to comment on pending legal actions, Brooke Oberwetter, a TikTok representative, told The Verge on Wednesday that "the safety, privacy, and security of our community is our top priority."
Following a week of unfavourable coverage for the video-sharing site, the Indiana lawsuits were filed. Republican governors have forbidden TikTok from being used on official computers and mobile devices in Maryland, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Texas. The app cannot be used on devices provided by the US Army, Navy, Department of Homeland Security, or Department of State.
The Republican-controlled Congress and House may take more severe action next year as a result of these prohibitions by Republican governors and legislatures. Talks between TikTok and the Biden administration to lessen threats to American national security have halted, as The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. Although an agreement was anticipated by the end of the year, it now seems that it may be further away. Republicans in the Senate and House may push for harsher sanctions against the company in the absence of a formal deal.
According to Oberwetter, TikTok is "confident that we're on a path in our negotiations with the U.S. Government to meet any realistic U.S. national security concerns entirely, and we've already made great work in implementing those solutions" in light of national security worries.
There have been numerous state lawsuits, but only Indiana has accused TikTok of violating its consumer protection statutes.
Rokita said Wednesday that TikTok constituted a "clear and present danger" to Indiana residents who carried it in their pockets.