Pa. Attorney General announces lawsuit against TikTok; says site lacks safeguards for children

HARRISBURG, Pa. (WPVI) -- Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday has announced a lawsuit against TikTok, saying it has failed to shield children from age-inappropriate material and over-usage of the app.

Sunday announced a civil lawsuit against the social media company on Tuesday, claiming the 13+ age rating is misrepresenting its safety, as kids can still access adult material on the site.

He also spoke about the social media app's addictiveness, and the detrimental impact it can have on a child's development.

"TikTok has built its empire based on a model of addictiveness at all costs, and expanded that empire using deception about what sort of content is viewable for kids," Sunday said. "This is not an indictment against modern technology, or a scolding assessment of social media as a whole - rather, this is an action to hold accountable a company that values dollars over mental wellness."

The lawsuit is seeking additional safeguards on the site.

Action News has reached out to TikTok for comment.

You can read the text of the lawsuit at AttorneyGeneral.gov.